Leaders from the city, county, and community organizations held a groundbreaking ceremony lastweek for Stockton’s first large non-congregate temporary emergency shelter.
St. Mary’s Community Services, previously named St. Mary’s Dining Room, said Project Pathways will serve as an emergency shelter offering 288 beds consisting of 108 single rooms, 67 double rooms, and 46 recuperative care units.
The shelter will be at 545 W. Sonora St., across the street from the community services. It was bought within the last 10 years, according to St. Mary’s Community Services.
“This new shelter concept fills a critical equity gap by opening doors for hundreds of individuals whose options for shelter are often limited,” St. Mary’s officials said in a statement.
The shelter will accept partners and pets. It will also secure people’s belongings, feature a common space with a kitchenette and meeting room, and have a designated area for women, seniors and people who need recuperative care.
“What’s exciting about this project is the fact that it’s not only going to meet an emergency housing need in our community and provide services to the most vulnerable in our community, but it’s going to change lives,” Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln said.
Petra Linden, CEO of St. Mary’s Community Services, said bringing a non-congregate shelter to the city was the missing puzzle piece because, although there are shelters in the city, they don’t feed the need for people who need their own space.
A timeline at the ceremony showed from April to June the site will be prepped and units will be manufactured, then installed from July to September. Landscaping and opening will occur from September through December.
Partners for the project include the city of Stockton, San Joaquin County, Health Plan of San Joaquin and Dignity Health.
Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.
