Pallet Shelter Tiny Homes Set to Arrive in Yreka in February
The Pallet Shelter project will provide 15 to 18, 70-square-foot homes, able to accommodate one to two people.
New shelter opportunities for Yreka’s unhoused population could begin to open this year. The city has also funded a program to have outside organizations host a warming center on frigid nights.
Yreka’s Pallet Shelter project is set to open in the coming months, with the delivery of tiny homes in mid-February. The partnership with Siskiyou County and Northern California Catholic Social Service, (NVCSS) will provide 15 to 18, 70-square-foot homes on South Foothill Dive for people experiencing homelessness. The project will largely serve the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court population. (CARE Court is a state initiative targeting mentally ill residents living on the streets.)
The tiny homes can accommodate one to two people, and will include support services as well as laundry and bathroom facilities. The homes are built by Pallet, a public benefit corporation.
“That’s a big win for the community. And I was just pleased to be able to assist,” said Yreka Public Works Director Matthew Bray at the Jan. 22 City Council meeting when the Pallet Shelter project was briefly discussed during a State of the City presentation.
The City Council approved a move to provide $6,000 annually for funding a city grant program to support warming center activities. Outside organizations, such as local churches, are encouraged to apply for the grants, which would provide up to $300 per event. This is the latest option to come forward after a range of other ideas have been exhausted.
One of the most recent proposals was to secure a mobile warming center that could be moved around to best serve vulnerable unhoused populations. It was being led by the members of the NorCal Continuum of Care advisory board. However, this exploration has been “paused,” City Manger Jason Ledbetter told the City Council.
Ultimately, the new Basecamp shelter project is anticipated to serve as a warming center when it opens later this year. Basecamp is being developed as a $2 million, 32-bed homeless shelter, complete with support services on Main Street in Yreka. The facility will be operated by Northern Valley Catholic Social Service.
In other housing news, Yreka will join the DANCO Group — an affordable housing developer — in a joint application for the Homekey Plus program, to fund the construction of a 50-unit housing development on Deer Creek Way. The project would be similar in size and scope to the Siskiyou Crossroads development on Foothill Drive.
The program, known as North Mountain Permanent Supportive Housing, would provide new construction of “cottage cluster-style housing.” The development will also provide case management, healthcare, and mental health services to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
“This program aligns with the city’s needs for more housing,” Alia Roca Lezra, Yreka Planning Manager, told the council. The council voted 5-0 to apply for the application. The full public approval process will come later when the development appears before the Yreka Planning Commission.