Whether they brave the cold underneath an awning of an uninhabited building, or tuck themselves amongst the bushes along the Ka Kahleh Trail, homeless people are living on the Mendocino Coast. "Everything our staff of 18 does is designed to help people overcome barriers to getting and maintaining permanent housing," says Paul Davis, executive director of the Mendocino Coast Hospitality Center (MCHC).
The non-profit organization was birthed in 1985, when a group of interfaith community members created an emergency shelter with the support of the Richmond, California Gospel Rescue Mission. Two years later, MCHC's Hospitality House Shelter was purchased, and was later enlarged and renovated to include the Gibson House- built behind the shelter and designed for families.
In 2011, in response to a closed service, MCHC took over operation of a homeless/mental health resource center, and the following year did the same for an existing transitional housing program on Harrison Street. In 2015, the Old Coast Hotel was purchased, which added additional transitional housing beds, a Wellness Center, mental health clinic and administrative offices.
In the past year, the 24-bed Hospitality House/emergency shelter provided 12,345 meals, 5,611 showers and housed 147 individual overnight guests. 296 individuals, 16 veterans, 21 children and 34 adults over the age of 65 were served through MCHC programs- with 21 individuals finding permanent housing solutions.
The number of services provided by the MCHC is staggering. The MCHC Wellness Center provides case management intakes, low-income housing listings, local resource guides and information about food and shelter. Group activities are available including a variety of arts and crafts, movie screenings, wellness and recovery action planning, and access to community groups. Other services and activities include support acquiring ID's and benefits, anger management training, life skills courses and mindfulness meditation. The MCHC also provides meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
At the Hospitality House, located on McPherson Street, two buildings provide accommodations for women, families and men on a first-come, first-served basis. Donated clothing is available to those who need refreshments or additions to their wardrobe, and a 3:00 meal is available to anyone in the community. "We couldn't provide this meal without the support from the Fort Bragg Food Bank and the amazing generosity of our community," Davis continues.
For those receiving Medi-Cal who need mental health services, the Hospitality Clinic acts as a service provider, including individual rehabilitation services and case management. The clinic is open on a walk-in basis, and street medicine is also provided weekly.
MCHC staff assist with Coordinated Entry enrollments and Rapid Rehousing, both of which help to streamline access to housing and assist with deposits and temporary rental assistance. "Our Landlord Liaison works with property owners to increase housing opportunities for our clients. We offer comprehensive case management to assess and prioritize individuals for housing and services, and assist with the completion of paperwork so clients receive all the support they need," Davis explains.
All of these services require collaboration. The MCHC works with Anchor Health Management, Adventist Health Mendocino Coast, the Mendocino Coast Children's Fund, the Fort Bragg Police Department and CRU, Tapestry Family Services, the Fort Bragg Food Bank, Mendocino Coast Clinics Fort Bragg, Parents and Friends, Project Sanctuary and the Paul Bunyan Thrift Shop.
The Street Medicine Program operates with support from the Arline and Michael Rosen Foundation, the Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation and Mendocino Coast Clinics. 270 individuals have received services from this program. Services include the provision of basic health care, health education, case management, connection to primary care and/or mental health services, the provision of hygiene products, socks, clothing and Hepatitis C testing.
The Hospitality House is supported by the County of Mendocino, United Way and the City of Fort Bragg. The emergency shelter is a communal environment, where guests participate in the operation of the house. Guests receive two daily meals, free laundry and shower facilities, and while living at the Hospitality house are expected to work on a path toward community connection- creating a plan resulting in improved housing. Single guests stay in one of three dorm-style rooms, and families with children reside in one of two family rooms. Daily chores, meal prep and cleaning are part of the guest's routine, and of course, no substance use is tolerated.
The overall impression of each of MCHC's facilities is calmness, cleanliness and an effort to make spaces simple, homelike and welcoming. The rooms in the Old Coast Hotel resemble hotel rooms of yore, with the antique tin siding still on the walls. Davis hopes that in the future, the commercial kitchen and adjoining café will be accessible to the community and increase the agency's revenue stream.
When asked what has kept the MCHC running for 40 years, Davis responds: "The staff."
"Eleven of our eighteen staff people have some kind of lived experience- whether being homeless, having addiction issues or mental health issues. At least ten staffers have received some type of services here, and half the staff have been here for six years or longer."
Jessica Fitch, Services Coordinator began her journey to MCHC in 2014, at the Buddy Eller Shelter in Ukiah. "I came back to the coast where I was born and raised, became the Hospitality House manager in 2015 and worked for a year at the shelter. When we acquired the hotel, I became the housing navigator." Fitch has been with MCHC for 11 years. "Helping people is my passion. These are my people. Sometimes they're coming right off the street. They learn to expect seeing us here. We're like family to many of our guests."
Kindra Fryman is the House Manager/Outreach Specialist. "I grew up in a home where there were lots of drugs and partying. In 2023, I found myself living in a car with my son, addicted to meth. I was referred here by the Building Bridges shelter in Ukiah. It was very hard to get clean time there. Once here, when I was 3 weeks clean, I lived in the shelter for three months. I felt so safe here- in my own room with my son. This program helped me get my car registered, insured and repaired. The more clean time I had, the healthier I got. Jessica and the managers gave me the confidence to get back into work force. Each person helped with a different aspect of my life. I went from the shelter to transitional housing to having my own housing, and in October of last year, I was hired be a house manager. If I can do it, everyone can," she smiles.
"Lived experience really makes a difference here," says Board President Carole White. "From the Board perspective, staff are our organization. They are the heart of MCHC. What we hear from clients is, 'Since coming here, I feel like a human for the first time.'" Our staff are exceptional at demonstrating compassion and building meaningful relationships."
White and Davis note that continuing misconceptions regarding who homeless people are and why they become homeless abound.
"A growing number of seniors come to us," says White. "For many reasons, they are finding themselves without housing. They don't know how to navigate the system, and many have personal care and health issues. This is a nationwide concern, and the needs of senior populations are unique."
"We continue to hear folks label homeless people as 'lazy.' 'All they need to do is get a job,' some people say. This is a simplistic idea," says White.
"Many people continue to believe homelessness can't happen to any of us- at any time. Some people think the cause of homelessness is rooted in addiction and mental health issues. You might know someone with mental health issues or addiction issues, and you care about them, but when it comes to someone on the street, there's a stigma attached to that person. This misunderstanding allows folks to pass judgement on something they can see, but these issues are not the cause of homelessness. What is true is that experiencing homelessness can cause or exacerbate existing mental health and addiction issues, and this is backed up by very good data," says Davis.
To successfully find permanent housing, MCHC helps clients identify and address the totality of issues contributing to their homelessness. "For mental health and addiction barriers, we collaborate with local agencies. When it comes to income barriers, or physical and mental disabilities, we help people navigate the system. With clients accessing our Specialty Mental Health Clinic, they may have come here housed, so the idea is to help them maintain that housing," says Davis.
The MCHC is funded through a combination state, federal, and most recently, a contract for shelter beds being funded through the Fort Bragg Police Department.
"We always have concerns that come back to funding. I think everyone knows what's going on federally. HUD has reallocated the 'buckets' of services they will pay for," says Davis. "The same dollar amount might be coming into our county, but there will likely be reductions in housing voucher programs. We've had very little time to formulate a backup plan."
Other changes to state funding for mental health are about to impact the agency's Wellness Center. "We're looking at changing the Wellness Center model to something that will be feasible for us," says Davis.
Shelter funding is always tenuous. "We can never line up a 'done deal' until the 11th hour. No matter how many years it works out, I'm always nervous. Every year, the State authors different rules and allocation requirements, which can be good news for shelters and bad news for adjacent programs that help get people into housing- like funds designated to help people pay their first few months of rent."
"Along with the uncertainty of shelter funding, we're struggling with increased utility costs, diminished offerings from the Food Bank and increased labor costs. The anticipation of more prohibitive SNAP program changes will certainly impact our entire community," says White. "Some changes coming down may or may not affect our administration or management, but they will affect clients. If we can't keep our doors open, this rapidly becomes a cascading community disaster," says White.
"Our clients carry this weight," says Fitch. "They are very aware of what's going on with funding. People come in almost every day, asking if we're going to stay open or not."
"We're not here because we got dealt the best cards," says Fryman. "We're here for a reason. We're not here to make friends. We're here to get our lives together. There is a unity among the house managers. We tell guests, 'You didn't do anything wrong to get here. You can do it. You can get housed. You can get the skills you need. It's so cool to see people flourish. It doesn't happen overnight, but here I am. I can now function in society, and now I can help other people find that in themselves," she concludes.
There are many ways to support the MCHC. Donations of the following items are always appreciated:
FOOD ITEMS FOR HOSPITALITY HOUSE:
Butter/margarine, Whole Milk, Sour Cream
Fruit Pie filling, Dried berries and fruit (apricots, blueberries, cranberries)
All Salad Greens
Sandwich fixings: Large tomatoes, Sliced lunch meat, sliced cheese, sliced pickles
Fresh fruit
Individual bags of chips, pretzels, corn chips, trail mix
Food and Personal Items may be dropped off at the Hospitality House, 237 N. McPherson Street from 7:00 AM- 6:00 PM.
PERSONAL ITEMS FOR HOSPITALITY HOUSE/COASTAL STREET MEDICINE:
Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
Hand Cream/Body Lotion/Sunscreen
Deodorant/Body Wash/Bar Soap/Hand Sanitizer
Shampoo/Conditioner
CLOTHING:
Wool Socks (size large or medium; new)
Long Underwear (tops and bottoms) for men and women; new
Wool Sweaters (new or clean used)
Warm Hats, Scarves, Gloves (new or clean used)
Rain Jackets/Rain Pants (new or clean used)
Shoes and Boots for cold, wet weather (new or lightly used)
Personal Items and Clothing may be dropped off at 101 N. Franklin St. Fort Bragg, Monday-Friday, 8:30-noon or 1:00-3:00.
One-time or recurring cash donations may be made online at https://www.mendocinochc.org/donate. Volunteer opportunities are also available. For more information visit https://www.mendocinochc.org or phone (707) 961-0172.