Hope Center marks one year; staff say 67 people served and 21 sustainably housed

Faith Hornby, executive director of Hope Rising, and Pastor Shannon, manager of Hope Center, told the Clear Lake City Council on Dec. 2 that the shelter‑alternative center reached its one‑year anniversary and has already become a local hub for housing navigation and wraparound services. "As of today, we have had 67 unique individuals come to Hope Center, 44 men and 23 women," Pastor Shannon said, noting the program operates a 20‑bed hub (5 beds for women and 15 for men).

The presenters described Hope Center as a housing navigation hub rather than a full‑time campus shelter; services include wraparound case management, housing navigation, on‑site AA/NA meetings and a new "Seeking Safety" group for clients with co‑occurring trauma and substance‑use disorders. Pastor Shannon said 49 of 64 respondents self‑identified as having mental‑health or behavioral‑health diagnoses, and 42 reported dual diagnoses of substance‑use and mental‑health disorders.

Council members and members of the public asked how clients arrive and leave the program, and staff described partner pathways: "43 of our participants came straight to us from experiencing street homelessness," Pastor Shannon said, and others were discharged from hospitals, were living in vehicles or were transferred from partner projects such as Elijah House or Project Restoration. Of the 67 clients represented in the presentation, staff reported that 30 had been housed and clarified that 21 of those placements were judged to be sustainable under the program’s criteria.

Hope Rising leaders listed the initiative’s funding streams, saying the program is supported by a Homekey grant, county behavioral‑health funds, Adventist Health Clear Lake, Partnership Health Plan, Redwood Credit Union, North Coast Opportunities and private donations, "to the half a million dollars that the city of Clear Lake provided," Pastor Shannon said. They also noted that federal assistance through SBA is available to some disaster‑impacted residents and that Cal OES and FEMA have been engaged on fire recovery matters elsewhere in the agenda.

In response to council and resident questions about neighborhood concerns, Pastor Shannon said early neighbor resistance quickly shifted to acceptance and local volunteers now run a weekly neighborhood trash pickup; staff also described adjustments to on‑site rules to reduce after‑hours complaints.

The presentation closed with a request for continued collaboration and for council support of efforts to sustain placements and expand supportive services. The council did not take formal action on the Hope Center presentation beyond discussion and public comment.