Dignity Village opens in Modesto with 42 tiny homes. A place to stop the downhill slide
A 42-unit complex providing interim housing for people battling homelessness and other challenges has opened in Modesto.
Ceremonies were held Thursday for Dignity Village, at the corner of Ninth and E streets, and the first residents will start moving in this weekend.
Officials said the 42 tiny houses will provide a safe and comfortable home for adults while they recover from substance use and mental health disorders. The housing program will include services and support to help them with their individual challenges.
Stanislaus County and the city of Modesto were partners in the project, which also engaged community groups in preparing the units for the first tenants. Volunteers and local groups adopted cabins and, on March 22, decorated the small units without knowing who would occupy them.
A team of case managers and social workers from the Stanislaus County Public Defender’s Office adopted a cabin and brought in toiletries, pictures, curtains, pillows and a welcome mat.
The unit was fresh off construction, so the team first wiped away the dust on the ceiling and the floor.
“If you have been on the streets for a long time, it’s a rough transition at first,” said Shelli Margarite, a client support manager who posed for a picture with co-workers at the cabin. “We really wanted to make it a home.”
Mayor Sue Zwahlen expressed hope that Dignity Village can make a difference as the city grapples with the homeless crisis. “Having a roof over their heads gives them a real chance for recovery and hope for a better tomorrow,” Zwahlen said.
The county and Modesto collaborated with Dignity Moves to develop the complex on city-owned property after Stanislaus County was awarded more than $3 million in state Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program funds in June 2023.
The fenced complex has toilets, showers, dining areas, offices, laundry, social areas and a dog run. Residents will stay in the interim housing for three to six months until ready for the next step to permanent housing.
Ruben Imperial, director of county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said those participating in Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court will have priority for some housing units as clients comply with treatment plans for mental disorders.
For participants in CARE Court, the state program known for court-supervised treatment of adults with schizophrenic disorders, access to housing is considered essential. But Dignity Village also will house adults getting substance use therapy through Senate Bill 43 and other behavioral health programs.
Imperial said in an interview last week that county BHRS will be involved in the day-to-day programming at Dignity Village. In July, county supervisors approved a $2.8 million contract with Modesto BHBH for daily management of Dignity Village, with the contractor responsible for management, coordination of tenant services, supports, staffing, maintenance and 24-hour security.
The complex also is close to services at The Salvation Army’s Berberian Shelter.
Chandra Campbell, manager of adult systems of care for BHRS, said Dignity Village will allow for placement of CARE Court participants into housing more quickly.
The county has relied on board and care and other transitional housing for those in the CARE Court program. Since October 2023, the Stanislaus Superior Court has received 77 CARE petitions, some from families but the majority from BHRS staff.
Of those petitions, 53 were within the eligibility requirements, such as their mental state is deteriorating and they’re not safe in the community without supervision. More than 20 were deemed ineligible. The program has 35 participants in voluntary care agreements and one in a court-ordered plan.
Stanislaus, one of the seven pilot counties for CARE Court in California, has graduated three people from the program and expects two more graduates in April.
A valuable asset for programs
Imperial said Dignity Village will be a valuable asset for CARE Court and other efforts to reduce homelessness. “The supports and services are the key by reducing isolation and increasing social connections between the people in the program,” he said. “It is a housing program, but we’re also trying to create community in a setting that helps folks recover.”
Supervisor Vito Chiesa said he’s optimistic about the Bridge Housing project because it has worked in other counties. A streamlined process allowed for construction of Dignity Village over several months after ground was broken in November.
Kris Van Giesen, vice president of development for BOSS, the builder of the units, said the company has begun work on 140 units in Sacramento and will build 120 additional dwellings in that city.
“They are built to last,” Van Giesen said, calling the program a plan for people to mend and “stop the downhill slide.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 1:11 PM.
