A bridge housing site at 2202 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz is expected to begin construction in spring and open in fall 2025. (County of Santa Cruz)
Last updated: April 2025
Project name: Behavioral Health Bridge Housing
Location: 2202 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
Status
A 32-bed temporary housing facility is expected to start construction in spring 2025 and open in early 2026, county officials said. Tenants will be for formerly unhoused residents who have mental health problems, and supportive services will be on site. No walk-up services will be available and all tenants will be served only by referral. The homeless services nonprofit Housing Matters is expected to run the site.
Telecare at 2250 Soquel Ave. is a locked, acute psychiatric inpatient program. Across its parking lot is 2202 Soquel Ave. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
Project description
- Thirty-two LifeArk modular units are expected to be built, along with supportive services and permanent housing navigation for people with behavioral health challenges.
- Residents will have private rooms and communal dining and gathering areas. The county has contracted with Housing Matters to manage and operate the facility and to provide “comprehensive care and support” for residents, Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin wrote in a statement.
- The building is expected to be the first of three similar navigation centers in Santa Cruz County, Villatuya wrote in a statement. The other centers are planned at 125 Coral St. in Santa Cruz and 118 First St. in Watsonville.
Services
People with court-ordered treatment plans through the state’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court program will be prioritized for placement at the center. The site is next to the county’s Behavioral Health Center, the county’s only locked mental health facility.
Sixty to 80 people are expected to be served annually, and six months is the expected average stay. County officials said a similar program in Alameda County placed 7 out of 10 participants in permanent housing.
Santa Cruz County Housing for Health Director Robert Ratner called the project a “first of its kind referral-based facility in Santa Cruz County.” It will provide “a service-rich environment with on-site interim housing so that individuals with psychiatric health and substance use disorder needs are not discharged back to the streets,” Ratner wrote in a statement.
“The Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program represents a significant step forward in addressing the intersection of homelessness and behavioral health challenges in our community,” Santa Cruz County Health Services Director Mónica Morales wrote in a statement. “Through collaborative efforts and innovative approaches, we can provide much-needed support and pathways to stable housing for individuals in need,” Morales wrote.
Planning process
The project did not require planning commission approval because it is on county land with compatible zoning, county officials said.
The project was originally expected to be complete by the end of 2024, but a “geologic land survey was needed to assess ground conditions and evaluate construction risks,” county spokesman Alan Villatuya wrote in a January 2025 email.
Construction
The facility is expected to open in early 2026, according to a county press release. Construction of the facility is expected to be completed by fall 2025.
Funding
A $10.2 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Services helped fund the project. Additional money came from Measure K and the Whole Person Care Pilot program from the state.
“Once established, this program will help Santa Cruz County secure additional state and federal dollars to address homelessness,” Ratner wrote.
Developer
The County of Santa Cruz is the developer.
Temporary homes and supportive services are expected at 2202 Soquel Ave. (County of Santa Cruz)
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