homelessness Services

RCS has been providing homeless services since 1999, when it piloted a housing program for older youth who were about to enter adulthood. Since then, RCS has expanded homeless services to provide housing navigation services, emergency shelter, a day resource center and permanent housing resources. RCS provides support to those facing and living homelessness with a compassionate, person-centered, and Housing First approach.

Mendocino County

Building Bridges Homeless Resource Center
Building Bridges (B2) is a 60-bed collaborative homeless resource center located in Ukiah designed to provide housing related services and safe shelter to people experiencing a housing crisis. Services are provided through a partnership of multiple community agencies. B2 operates from a low barrier perspective, meaning we help people where they are at. B2 contains a day drop-in center, emergency shelter, and plans to develop on-site housing and other resources.

B2 Day Center
A daytime drop-in center open year-round. The Day Center will provide resources such as showers, restrooms, laundry; computers, internet access, charging station; mailing address, phone, & messaging center; connection to medical and other community services; linkage to mainstream resources such as CalFresh and CalWorks; peer support; groups, classes, workshops; community service opportunities; and a donation-based resource closet.

Coordinated Entry Access Point
The B2 Center in Ukiah is an Access Point for the MCHSCoC Coordinated Entry (CE) system. CE is a system that screens everyone who is experiencing homelessness and requests assistance to acquire housing. This is how we make sure we know what services someone needs.

Rapid Re-Housing
RCS Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) assistance provides help to individuals and families in Mendocino County who are literally homeless. It assists them with moving as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability through a combination of housing identification, rental assistance, and supportive services. Potential participants are selected through the MCHSCoC CE system, targeting those who are most likely to only need short- term housing assistance.

Housing Navigation
Housing Navigators work with people experiencing a housing crisis, both those who are currently unhoused and those who are at risk of becoming homeless, aiding them with acquiring and/or sustaining housing. These supportive services are provided primarily to those who are identified through CE as being the most vulnerable and at risk. Housing Navigation staff utilize a “progressive engagement” approach, offering “light- touch” assistance at first and increasing aid only as needed. Housing navigators develop relationships with landlords, striving to increase the pool of housing available to people with multiple housing barriers (i.e., no or bad rental history, criminal record, low income, etc.).

Homelessness Prevention
RCS provides supportive services to people who are at risk of losing their housing. Services could include landlord mediation, advocacy, and limited financial assistance when resources are available.