Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is using a unique approach to end homelessness: reclaiming neighborhoods by buying single family homes for less than the cost of building a new studio, and remodeling them to function as co-living environments. These 5- to 6-bedroom sites provide permanent housing to people who would otherwise be unable to live independently due to complex physical or mental health issues, or other barriers like history of incarceration or homelessness. Rather than living on the streets, or being institutionalized, which is harmful for the individual and our community, participants get to live safely and healthily in the community of their choice. Every single person in a BACS house has their own bedroom, door, and key. Individuals share communal areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Each resident is paired with a Care Coordinator who helps them build independent living skills through job support, benefits assistance, mental health support, financial assistance, job support, group activities, and money management. Residents learn skills by sharing responsibilities for cleaning, paying bills, and running their household. BACS’ Project Reclamation is the quickest way to get people into housing, by leveraging immediate housing resources in a region where 83% of residential real estate is single-family zoned.
- Bay Area Community Services (BACS)
