Congratulations to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa and Santa Rosa Community Health on your two-years-strong partnership and phenomenal work to end homelessness in Santa Rosa through the Caritas Center!
Through the new, 48,000-square-foot, PYATOK-designed facility, which Catholic Charities characterized as "a collaborative space that embodies the power of partnerships," the two orgs have integrated healthcare with homelessness services for Santa Rosa's most vulnerable residents. An impact report, United in Health and Home (PDF), released last week, shows that these wrap-around services have led to better health outcomes and a doubling in the rate of permanent housing placements.
"Caritas Village was a grand vision for us to be able to do things that were radically different by building a program from the ground up that uniquely addressed the individual’s complex needs and challenges," said Catholic Charities CEO Jennielynn Holmes at a special community event on August 15th. Caritas Village refers to the mixed-use campus formed by Caritas Center and the neighboring, PYATOK-designed Caritas Homes, 64 apartments and townhomes for low-income Santa Rosans, developed by Burbank Housing.
Caritas Center co-locates Catholic Charites, Santa Rosa Community Health, and other service providers like Sonoma Community Action Network to provide a "full continuum of care and services for those who come to our front door, creating access to resources all in one location." The facility's program includes:
- a Drop-In Center of essential services
- the 38-bed Nightingale emergency shelter
- the Santa Rosa Community Health Clinic
- a 192-bed Family Center ("the largest shelter for families between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oregon border")
- Youth and Family Services
- a Head Start program, and
- a Transitional Residency program
At the event, Jennielynn Holmes remarked, "The co-location of services at the Caritas Campus has not just been a vision, it has been a revolution in care and support."
The report also recommended additional efforts to expand impact in addressing and preventing homelessness, including the advent of mobile clinics, expansion of recuperative care, and State program and legislative reforms.
