BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — For years, The Open Door Network, Bakersfield’s only family shelter, has served some of the most vulnerable residents, including people affected by homelessness, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking.
Now, the nonprofit is moving forward with a multi-million dollar shelter expansion that would increase bed capacity to more than 350. The City of Bakersfield will allot $2.5 million for construction.
The council approved the motion 5-1 on Wednesday evening. Lauren Skidmore, The Open Door Network CEO, spoke about the expanding operations during the city council meeting. She said there are plans to build a 74,000 square-foot, four-building “campus,” which will feature many expanded services.
The Open Door Network currently operates a 232-bed homeless shelter, provides victims’ services, housing services, childcare, aftercare case management and workforce development.
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In 2025, the agency provided shelter services to 682 clients, including 402 children, and housed 80 single women.
In 2019, the California High Speed Rail Authority purchased the organization’s current campus at 1600 East Truxtun Avenue, setting the agency on a path to expand to a new location. The Open Door Network proposed building a larger shelter to merge functions into one site, serve more people and provide additional programs.
The expansion is aimed at helping address homelessness in Kern County, where the 2025 Point-In-Time Count found 1,398 unsheltered individuals on any given day, including 53 veterans and 149 youth.
The Open Door Network Shelter Project is under construction at 529 Dolores Street. The project includes four separate buildings on 2.94 acres. The shelter’s bed capacity is expected to increase by 100 beds, for a total of over 350 shelter beds.
Plans for the new four-building site will include on-site childcare with an after-school program, workforce development, educational certificate programs, medical and mental health support, housing services, a dining hall, a donation center, respite care and a children’s museum. The new shelter is also located near the Kern County Department of Human Services and several bus stops, which is expected to reduce transportation barriers for accessing off-site resources.
Photo: The City of Bakersfield (YouTube)
City funding for the project was included in the city’s budget process. On May 28, 2025, the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Proposed Budget Book was presented to the City Council and included an allocation of $2.5 million in Public Safety/Vital Services Capital Improvement Project Reserves for the construction of a 350-bed shelter that includes beds for families with children.
On June 15, 2025, the City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 25-26 budget with the proposed funding adjustment included.
The project totals $46.5 million, said Skidmore. The remainder of the project is funded through state and federal government grants.
Skidmore said she expects the new facility to open in the summer of 2027.