Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

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“We are going to end homelessness in Oakland”

BACS is partnering with Kaiser Permanente to house 515 homeless seniors in Oakland. This is a transformative change to how someone goes from homelessness to housing in the Bay Area.

“This partnership with Kaiser is a game-changer. So far, we have more than 250 seniors out of encampments, off the streets, and into permanent housing. With more programs like this, we are going to end homelessness in Oakland.” – Jamie Almanza

Thanks to Kaiser, BACS helped Victor N. end his homelessness. Victor, pictured here, receives his keys to his new home in Oakland. Victor is a veteran, and became homeless in January. He lived in his car, which made his health problems worse. After being hospitalized, he came to BACS and we were able to get him into housing. 

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Governor Newsom Visits BACS

On May 21, Jamie Almanza and the rest of the BACS team were thrilled to host Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Libby Schaaf, Mayor Bill Steinberg, Supervisor Keith Carson, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and others to announce a new taskforce & $1 billion investment to address homelessness in California.

Governor Newsom toured BACS’ Housing Fast Support Network, which moves people directly from encampments to BACS sites and sees 88% of participants find permanent housing after just 4-6 months.

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Nobody Wants to be Homeless – So We’re Buying a House a Year to End Homelessness

BACS is stepping up to the plate to end homelessness. Some affordable housing projects are taking up to 10 years before move in, & can cost up to $600k per studio apartment built. We cannot afford to wait 10 years.

BACS committed to buying ‘a house a year’ to end homelessness. We buy homes where the entirety of a six-bedroom house costs less than a newly built affordable housing studio, and are ready to move people in within 30 days – not 10 years.

We are opening up opportunities for a sponsor to name the house and leave a lasting legacy. Individuals, families, corporations, and foundations are invited to donate $100,000 or more to have a house named in their honor – and permanently end homelessness for 6 or more people. Contact us to learn more.

In the last 6 months, BACS bought two houses – permanently ending homelessness for 14 people, who are all living with complex mental health issues. Every year, BACS’ houses keep over 100 people off the streets, with ongoing mental health services included. Our housing is embedded in the community, and allows clients to share in cooking & other house activities while still having their own bedroom, preventing isolation.

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Simply the Basics & Health while Homeless

Did you know that 67% of homeless community members have a preventable health condition? Without the resources that many people take for granted – like access to a sink – people living on the streets develop health issues. Things like dental issues, skin conditions, foot pain, and hypothermia, which can all prevent keeping a job or finding housing, and can lead to long-term health problems.

Simply the Basics takes hygiene seriously. Simply the Basics partners with BACS and other organizations to provide hygiene kits – including things like feminine hygiene products, toothpaste and toothbrushes, razors, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and more.

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Oakland’s New Rapid Re-Housing Program ‘The Holland’ Receives Major Grant from Anthem Foundation

BACS is thrilled to announce that the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation has partnered with BACS to end homelessness in the Bay Area, through a significant grant award.

Individuals who move in to The Holland are coming directly from the streets and encampments, and need support to immediately get basic needs met – food, clothing, hygiene, healthcare and medical needs, and more. Anthem Blue Cross Foundation is making it possible to provide every resident with a warm, healthy, filling meal every day in 2019.

BACS officially opened ‘The Holland’ in January, and immediately began to move community members out of encampments. The Holland is the second location in Oakland of a rapid re-housing program known as the Housing Fast Support Network (HFSN).

This program model is the largest and most effective effort to target homelessness in Oakland to date. At the Henry Robinson Center, BACS serves 300 people per year, and has an 88% success rate in getting people in to permanent housing after just 6 months. This is vastly shorter than similar models, which last 12-18 months.

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BACS is accredited by CARF, an international independent accrediting body, whose focus is on ensuring high-quality services.