The 32-bed Yreka Basecamp opened Monday, adding to the scant but growing emergency housing options for homeless adults in rural Siskiyou County.
The shelter, run by Northern Valley Catholic Social Service staff, will also provide resources for mental health, substance abuse and employment.
Program manager Tara Kilcollins said the facility isn’t just about housing.
“It's all about getting people connected to services,” she said. “It's about getting them connected to the things that they need to address the challenges that they have in their life.”
Kilcollins said 22 beds were already filed, with one person so grateful they had taken to volunteering at the facility.
“A lot of people just need purpose in their life. And Basecamp has become his purpose,” she said.
Basecamp is low barrier, she explained, which means residents don’t need to be sober or show ID to stay. There’s also storage for personal belongings and parking available for vehicles. And well-behaved pets are invited to stay with their owners.
The shelter joins the 15-unit Siskiyou Village in Yreka. That tiny home project opened in May.
Kilcollins said getting the shelter up and running took longer than expected as staff dealt with burdensome building codes and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The project received state and local funding, including a grant from California’s Proposition 47.
The Yreka Police Department has set a July 30 deadline for campers to leave a large homeless encampment located on a hill near the shelter. Another popular camping spot, the Yreka Creek Greenway, was also recently closed.
Kilcollins estimates there are 150 homeless residents in Yreka alone. She’s doing outreach in that community to let people know about the new resources.
