A new shelter opens for the homeless in Modesto. And it’s OK to bring a pet.
The homeless began moving Tuesday out of the “tent city” emergency shelter near the Tuolumne River in Modesto and settling into the new low-barrier shelter on Ninth Street.
Jack Eldridge, 48, said it was awesome his dog Nicky can stay with him in the shelter. Eldridge had slept in a tent at the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter since February and camped near the river for four years before that. He said his dog was neutered last week to prepare for staying in the shelter.
“A lot warmer,” Eldridge said, referring to the newly opened shelter. “It got cold this morning. My dog had two covers.”
As the first homeless clients passed through a metal detector and were checked in Tuesday, a veterinarian was onsite to make sure pets were spayed or neutered and to provide rabies and kennel cough vaccinations if needed. Following an exam for the pet, owners were given a goody box full of pet food, a blanket and leash, said Misty Eckerdt, director of Bandit’s Furends, a rescue organization.
The homeless can bring pets or support animals into the 182-bed low-barrier addition to the Salvation Army Berberian Shelter at Ninth and D streets. The new shelter is also different in that people can stay during the daytime to access services to help with housing, mental health issues, substance abuse, job search and legal matters.
“They don’t have to leave during the day,” said Doug Holcomb, who has been operations manager of MOES, where about 400 people have stayed in tents under the Ninth Street bridge. “They can stay in the shelter and receive help from outreach staff.”
About eight agencies will staff an access center that is 90 percent complete next to the shelter. The access center is expected to open in early January.
No drugs, alcohol or weapons are allowed inside the low-barrier shelter, but people who have tipped a few can come through the doors without taking a breathalyzer test. “If they comply with the behavior guidelines, they can come in and sleep it off,” said Major Harold Laubach Jr., corps officer for the Salvation Army.
Low barrier also means attending a church service is not a requirement for people using the shelter for a bed, hot meals, shower, laundry and other services.
Stanislaus County, the city of Modesto and the Salvation Army are partners in the $4.8 million shelter and access center. The cost figure includes a remodel of warehouse space for the new shelter, as well as construction of the access center and administrative and program offices for the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army planned to accept 50 people in the shelter Tuesday and Wednesday. Local agencies will keep moving the homeless out of MOES to the new shelter and other facilities, and are shooting to close the tent city by Dec. 11.
The new shelter’s 30-member staff including new hires received an orientation Monday. The first people admitted to the shelter Tuesday were members of the downtown streets team and people referred by Turning Point, the contractor that operates MOES.
The downtown streets teams is a program for homeless people like Eldridge, who gain work experience on beautification projects. Additional resources such as case management and employment services help them become independent adults.
Sandy Shelton, 58, was moving into the shelter with her dog Tazz. The street team member was looking forward to a temporary stay in the shelter and then a move to Idaho after her mother’s estate is settled.
“If I had one thing to say about being homeless, it’s exhausting,” Shelton said. “Everything is an effort.”
The largest room in the shelter has 160 beds, with men on one side and women on the other. Each client has a locker. Cages for pets are next to the bunks.
A 22-bed dormitory is reserved for those with CPAP machines, people with special needs or mental health clients who need supervision.
It could cost upward of $3 million annually to operate the shelter. Thus far the county has identified state and federal homeless assistance funding and is looking at other sources to cover the expenses.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 6:11 PM.
