It was a typical Monday morning for HOPE Family Shelters.

Families showed up searching for shelter.

Almost all were turned away.

The 30 year-old non-profit that has helped more than 5,700 people since their first shelter opened 30 years ago did not have the space to accommodate the need.

The shelter, which does not keep a waiting list, turns away an average of 30 families a month.

The HOPE Ministries hopes to be able to help more families at any given time.

A step toward that happening occurred Monday morning.

That is when Haggerty Construction demolished and old home adjacent to the shelter on the southeast corner of Yosemite and Sequoia avenues.

It is the latest step in a process that HOPE shelters is working toward to construct a 4,500 square-foot two-story complex with six additional apartment units plus two rooms to conduct programs aimed at giving families the skills to get back on their feet.

The rooms will allow families staying at the original shelter next door in the 500 block of West Yosemite to access more robust support services on site as well.

Haggerty Construction picked up the tab not just for the demolition and hauling away the debris, but also cost of the demolition permits.

A $140,000 grant from San Joaquin County allowed the non-profit to secure construction plans.

The City of Manteca has awarded the shelter $240,000 in federal pass through Community Development Grant funds to cover required municipal fees.

The city in 2019 used the same funding source to help HOPE Ministries to purchase the house and lot adjoining their original shelter.

The next step is to secure financing

Given HOPE is a high barrier as they require those staying with them to be sober and stay that way during the three or so month long program, that is not an easy task.

It doesn’t mean someone with an alcohol or substance abuse addiction is barred from being helped. HOPE will assist them to deal with that problem.

But they must not test positive when they are accepted or at any time during their stay. People who fail are allowed second chances when space is available.

The philosophy is simple: Parents need to be willing to put their children’s welfare above drugs and alcohol.

In doing so, they can make full use of counseling and services that help them to address the root problems of being homeless as well as to have the skills necessary to secure a job if they ae unemployed.

The bottom line of all of that means HOPE has a 52 percent rate of families after three months or so staying at shelter of securing their own housing,

That is almost triple of what most other shelters experience when people they assist move on.

The flipside of that, however, means there is very little federal and state funds available to help construct facilities and fund programs given the overwhelming amount is targeted for low barrier shelters.

If they do manage to secure federal or state dollars, they would need to pay prevailing federal wages. That translates into a $7 million cost.

If the new shelter construction is funded by a  private sector cost, the price drops down to S2.5 million.
The goal is to have a new facility up and running in five or so years.

That would reflect almost a 25 percent increase in shelter capacity.

HOPE currently has 23 housing units.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com