‘The city has run out of funding’: 2 Fresno homeless shelters will permanently close

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – By the end of the year, two Fresno homeless shelters will permanently close due to funding issues.

“I definitely understand why people are upset about shelters closing. But we always have to pivot because the funding changes constantly,” Fresno Madera Continuum of Care Chair, Laura Moreno, said. 

Journey Home off Parkway Drive will close at the end of December, and Golden State Triage Center off West Olive Avenue will shut down on November 15. More than 120 people will be affected by the shelter closures. 

“As of July 31st, they will not be accepting any new individuals into those shelters,” Fresno Housing Authority CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams said.

The Fresno Housing Authority says that while they own the two properties, the City of Fresno provides the funding to operate the shelters. 

“We were informed that the city has run out of funding,” Williams said.

But the shelters were always intended to be temporary and eventually converted into affordable housing.

“We bought four properties, the Housing Authority bought four, and the city bought five,” Williams said.

The Housing Authority has already been able to convert two properties. The Promesa Commons on Parkway Drive and Manzanilla Commons on North Crystal Avenue.

Now they’re actively working to secure funding to turn the Golden State into affordable units.

“It’s competitive, so it’s no guarantee. And we’re competing with other projects from around the state,” Williams said.

So, until then, there’s no timeline on when that could be complete.

But he says no matter the effort, the homeless population continues to grow every single day.

“It is a case where we’re doing the most that we can with the resources that we have. But the truth is, that’s not enough,” he said.

As far as the shelter residents, the Housing Authority will work with residents and their case managers to find other housing options.