BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 The Open Door Network\u2019s homeless shelter construction in central Bakersfield could receive additional financial help from the city, according to the Bakersfield City Council meeting agenda for Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The City Council is being asked to approve an agreement with the nonprofit for $2.5 million to go to its shelter project for rising construction and labor costs over the years.<\/p>\n
RELATED: The Open Door Network breaks ground for new campus <\/a><\/p>\n The Open Door Network\u2019s campus operates at 1600 E. Truxtun Ave. as the only homeless shelter in Bakersfield that supports families with children, providing 232 beds total, according to the meeting agenda.<\/p>\n Last year, The Open Door Network provided services to 682 clients \u2014 including 402 children \u2014 and housed 80 single women, the agenda said.<\/p>\n The California High-Speed Rail Authority bought this shelter in 2019.<\/p>\n The new campus<\/a> at 529 Dolores St. broke ground in October of 2024. With this shelter, The Open Door Network aims to merge their functions into one place and serve more people with more programs, according to the agenda.<\/p>\n This facility is planned to have four separate buildings on 2.94 acres, with shelter bed capacity increasing by 100 beds for a total of about 350 beds.<\/p>\n According to the agenda, the new building is expected to provide on-site child care with an after school program, workforce development, educational certificate programs, medical and mental health support, housing, dining hall, dog kennels, donation center, respite care and a children\u2019s museum.<\/p>\n Lauren Skidmore with The Open Door Network said the organization is also having conversations to bring education, medical and faith-based community partners to the shelter.<\/p>\n The shelter on Dolores Street is also closer to the Kern County Department of Human Services and several bus stops, which gets rid of transportation issues for accessing offsite resources, the agenda said.<\/p>\n The construction is expected to be completed by April of 2027, with the move-in wrapping up by July 2027, according to Skidmore.<\/p>\n The City Council previously approved $2.5 million in funding for the construction back in November of 2024<\/a>. That funding came from American Rescue Plan Act funds.<\/p>\n The City Council is set to consider an additional $2.5 million in funding, this time coming from the city\u2019s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, according to city officials. Ward 1 Councilmember Andrae Gonzales made the referral asking the city to allocate funding from that source, the agenda said.<\/p>\n According to Skidmore, the overall cost for the project has increased since first outlined in 2019 due to factors like overall construction cost increases, labor costs, site clean-up and National Environmental Policy Act requirements receiving federal funds.<\/p>\n