On Friday, February 27, the former Village of Love day center, safe parking, and overnight emergency shelter at 431 Stardust Place unexpectedly closed. At the City Council meeting on February 17 [1], the City had approved Urban Alchemy to take over its operation. However, according to Public Information Officer Sarah Henry, “to ensure the Day Center and Safe Parking program participants were well served by our providers, staff added safeguards to the agreement that unfortunately Urban Alchemy would not agree to.” The City is now working to engage a new provider to operate the facility.
[2]Contract amendment disagreement
Urban Alchemy’s contract reflected a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process for selecting qualified shelter operation providers. The process included written proposals reviewed by partner jurisdictions, followed by oral panel interviews with Housing and Human Services staff and regional partners. As a result of this process, staff recommended Urban Alchemy, which has experience operating low-barrier programs, including safe parking, tiny home sites, and emergency shelters in Alameda County and other jurisdictions.
However, on February 26, the City moved to add the following stipulations to the contract aimed at strengthening oversight and guardrails to protect program participants:
- Daily, unscheduled site visits conducted by City staff.
- Direct engagement with clients during site visits.
- Clearly posted grievance procedures on-site.
- Prominent posting of City contact information to allow confidential reporting of concerns.
- Weekly on-site meetings to review program outcomes, management practices, and HMIS data.
- Mandatory participation by Urban Alchemy in program evaluations, with implementation of City-directed service improvements.
- Pre-payment review and approval of all invoices by Housing and Human Services staff.
- Monthly budget review meetings to monitor expenditures and ensure fiscal compliance.
- Urban Alchemy will not assign staff to the City of Alameda who have felony convictions involving abuse (sexual, physical, or mental) against minors.
When Urban Alchemy refused to agree to these additional conditions, the City decided on February 27 to close the shelter that day, informing residents before lunchtime of the need to vacate.
Referral to other sites
Henry stated that “On the day of the closure, the Housing and Human Services (HHS) team secured shelter for all interested participants of our Day Center through the Day Center at Dignity Village, the Winter Warming Shelter, and Emergency Supportive Housing. In addition, clients in Safe Parking were provided a referral option to an alternative site in San Leandro.”
An anonymous letter to the Alameda Post alleged that the abrupt closure resulted in some shelter participants arriving at the Village of Love after it closed in the afternoon, only to learn that beds would not be available there that evening. Henry noted, “The HHS Engagement Team continues to reach out to people across the island and inform them of shelter options.”
At the City Council meeting on February 17, Housing and Human Services Manager C’Mone Falls had reported that the Winter Warming Shelter was then over capacity. Henry noted that on the evening of February 27, “City staff contacted the Warming Shelter and spoke with (Christ Episcopal) Church staff and on-site staff about the situation. They were told to contact the City if more people came than they were able to accommodate. In that situation, the City would house individuals in a hotel. However, that was not needed.”
New day center planned
At her State of the City [4] address on March 5, Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft noted that the City intends to open a new, expanded day center and safe parking facility at Alameda Point in the fall. The new day center will be located at 1041 West Midway at Alameda Point, Building 2, Wing 3; construction is underway. Henry stated that the service provider identified and approved by the City Council for the current day center will continue as the provider of the new center.
Alameda was recently designated a “Prohousing City” by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, making it eligible for funding advantages. The designation has already helped secure a $1 million grant. The City will apply most of this grant to the new day center.
Total funding for both construction and soft costs, such as design, project management, permits, and environmental/historical review, includes the following sources:
| Amount | Source |
|---|---|
| $1,250,000 | Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 California Budget Bill Jr. (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2023, AB 102) |
| $750,000 | FY 2024-25 General Fund Residual Fund Balance allocation |
| $750,000 | FY 2025-27 Capital Improvement Project allocation of the Prohousing Incentive Grant |
| $550,000 | Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) (pending) |
| $3,300,000 | TOTAL |