City commits $6.7 million toward Lutheran Social Services community wellness campus; council asks staff to seek more prioritized beds

The San Bernardino City Council unanimously approved on Oct. 14 a funding commitment to support the San Bernardino Community Wellness Campus proposed by Lutheran Social Services of Southern California in partnership with Dignity Moves. The council’s action increases the city’s allocation to the project from $5 million to $6.7 million, officials said.

Council members and staff said the city has committed a significant portion of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allotment and other city funding streams to the project. The campus is described in staff presentations as a 200-bed campus; the new-build portion discussed at the meeting was described as 140 beds, with the council seeking prioritized access to a subset for city outreach teams.

Deputy housing staff said the regulatory and loan agreement being negotiated will include a provision prioritizing 24 beds for City of San Bernardino outreach teams. Council members urged staff to negotiate for more prioritized beds given reported bed shortages in the city’s homeless response system. One council member noted the city currently has zero prioritized beds and requested staff continue discussions with Lutheran Social Services to try to increase the number available to the city.

Staff clarified funding sources during the discussion: the additional $1.7 million is not ARPA funds but comes from other local funding (referred to in the meeting as LHL funding). Staff said the total project cost discussed in the presentation is roughly 32 (million referenced in the packet), and the city’s $6.7 million is a pro-rata contribution toward the 200-bed campus.

Council members emphasized urgency because outreach teams, shelters and outreach providers regularly report a lack of bed availability. One council member asked staff to aggressively pursue the city’s priority for additional beds but did not make the contract approval contingent on securing a higher prioritized-bed count. Staff said the city, as a co-applicant on the funding application, is tied into the project but can negotiate prioritization terms in the regulatory agreement.

The motion to approve the funding commitment passed unanimously.

Ending — Staff will continue negotiations with Lutheran Social Services and return with finalized regulatory and loan-agreement language; council members said they expect staff to press for additional prioritized beds for San Bernardino outreach and referral partners.