Providence Mother Bernard House

Overview

Providence Mother Bernard House will be a permanent supportive housing program for people who are experiencing chronic homelessness. Scheduled to open in early 2023, this housing program will include 48 studio units, common areas, service space and offices. When fully operational, Providence Mother Bernard House will provide a model of Supportive Housing that combines Permanent Supportive Housing units (42 total units) with Recuperative Care units (6 total units), and wrap-around supportive services that address health and housing needs of ach resident. On an interim basis, until construction is complete, the property also operates as a shelter for homeless persons. Participants in the shelter program have access to supportive services, including a case manager who works with each participant to find permanent housing.

The property will include a full-time professional property manager complete with an office on site. Part-time maintenance technician and environmental services staff will ensure the property is maintained and clean. Providence Mother Bernard House staff will include a staff person living in an on-site apartment. Front desk staff will provide security and be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial Hospital CARE Network team will be the lead supportive services provider. Providence Mother Bernard House is not a medical facility. It is a studio apartment building. Tenants residing in the building will have a lease and Providence Supportive Housing will function as the landlord providing property management services.

Case management services at Providence Mother Bernard House will include assistance accessing and linking tenants to Medi-Cal enrollment and enrollment in other benefits the tenant may be eligible for; peer support activities; referral to medical, behavioral and/or mental health care resources; benefits counseling and advocacy; basic housing retention skills (such as unit maintenance and upkeep, cooking, laundry, working with a landlord, getting along with neighbors, and money management). Referrals may also be made to educational or vocational resources, food and nutritional programs.

Located at the site of the former Budget Motel, the building has been redesigned to contribute to the unique character of Eureka's downtown. Highway 101 and M streets will be activated by an expressive new two-story building and a significant amount of new, native plant landscaping, all of which will replace an existing surface parking lot. A butterfly roof form will create a sense of movement along 4th Street and act a part of a rainwater catchment system, while a site trellis and fencing are designed to tie the new and existing buildings together. The project will feature natural colors and materials, including natural wood for siding and site elements. A mural utilizing local artists, is also planned in the courtyard that would highlight a special aspect of Eureka's identity or history.