Mother Bernard House opens
Mother Bernard House received a Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Eureka, Calif. and commenced lease up operations on Dec. 1, 2023. We'll host a Blessing Ceremony and formal Open House in the Spring of 2024.
The affordable housing project for people experiencing homelessness was developed and will be operated by Providence Supportive Housing. Services will be provided by the Providence St. Joseph Hospital CARE Network Program. This service enriched housing model is designed to promote stability, independence, and aging in place for a significantly under-resourced population.
“Our unique perspective as an affordable housing provider embedded within a large health care organization allows us to identify systems gaps and care delivery needs for people experiencing homelessness, and to adapt housing resources to meet those needs,” noted Tim Zaricznyj, Executive Director of Providence Supportive Housing.
The affordable housing program is a Providence innovation called a SHARC – Supportive Housing And Recuperative Care for people experiencing homelessness. In addition to providing 42 permanent supportive housing units, 6 recuperative care units are set aside to accept discharge referrals from local acute care facilities. These referrals are considered dischargeable but not placeable because the patient has no home to discharge to. Programming is designed to help those patients achieve physical, mental, and behavioral stability and then transition into permanent supportive housing, either on site or elsewhere in the community. The SHARC model is designed as an off ramp from chronic homelessness and an on ramp into a stable home, a supportive community and improved health.
“Our CARE Network team is excited to partner with Providence Supportive Housing to bring this valuable resource to Humboldt County and to meet the call of our mission to serve the poor and vulnerable in our community,” noted Martha Shanahan, Director of Community Health Investment for St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial Hospitals in Eureka, CA.
Mother Bernard House is named after Mother Bernard Gosselin, founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.
Mother Bernard House was made possible through generous contributions from Providence St. Joseph Hospital Care for the Poor fund, State of California Office of Housing and Community Development’s Homekey and Housing for a Healthy California programs, the Housing Authority of the City of Eureka and County of Humboldt, Humboldt County CDBG and Homeless Assistance programs and Enterprise Community Partners. Design and Construction services provided by Van Meter Williams Pollack LLC, and the Danco Group. Mother Bernard House is one of 18 supportive housing programs in Washington, Oregon and California owned and operated by Providence Supportive Housing.