KCAO details $22 million Food Bank Service Center with 200-bed low-barrier shelter for Hanford

Kings Community Action Organization outlined plans Tuesday for a new Food Bank Service Center in Hanford that would combine a low-barrier shelter, centralized kitchen and a large food-distribution pantry in a three-phase, $22 million project.

Juan Torres, special project administrator with Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO), told the City Council the center would be located at 11096 Tenth Avenue (the southwest corner of Ramona and Tenth Avenue), across from the fairgrounds, and be built in three phases beginning with a 19,000-square-foot low-barrier shelter intended to serve up to 200 people.

The shelter would operate 24 hours and include a 130-seat cafeteria, showers, laundry, intake offices, day rooms and storage for client belongings. KCAO plans separate wings for men and women — 130 beds for men and 70 for women — and is designing pet kennels and a dog run so clients can keep animals on site. Torres said the center also plans space for mental-health, substance-use and job-training partners.

Torres described the full project as a three-phase build: phase 1 (low-barrier shelter) at about $8.7 million; phase 2 (a centralized commercial kitchen and conference/training space) at about $7.1 million; and phase 3 (a large food-bank warehouse and community pantry) at about $6.2 million. The total estimated cost is $22,000,000. KCAO began the project in November 2023 and is targeting October 2030 for full completion; the organization hopes phase 1 will be operational by March 2027, with construction scheduled January 2026 through January 2027.

KCAO reported it has secured roughly $8.5 million toward phase 1 but still anticipates a funding gap if pledged amounts do not materialize. Torres told the council that the project's prospective funding mix includes federal and state grants, city and county contributions, managed-care plan grants and philanthropy; he specifically credited a large gift from the Toss Family Foundation. He also said environmental review work required by some funders was completed between October 2024 and March 2025, and that the NEPA review, Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act checks found no disqualifying issues.

Torres said services currently provided by KCAO at its rented site in Lemoore would continue until the new site is ready and that the center's cafeteria and kitchen would serve residents and community members, including potential meal support for seniors or programs such as Head Start. He also said families with children who need shelter would be referred to KCAO's existing Seville women's shelter and that motel vouchers are among the transitional housing options KCAO uses.

Council members expressed support for the proposal and asked about operations and funding. Torres said KCAO is still finalizing operating rules and details such as pet policies, but emphasized a "seamless transition" of current food-bank services and the center's role as both a shelter and a community food resource. "If they have a need that they express to us, then our plan would be to serve them," Torres said.

Why it matters: KCAO said the center would expand the county's capacity to serve people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity; KCAO noted a 2024 point-in-time survey showing most local unhoused people are single adult men and that 90% of Kings County's recorded unsheltered population is in Hanford. The project is intended to provide emergency shelter, food distribution and housing navigation services under one roof.

Ending: The council later approved the city's annual CDBG action plan, which allocates $200,000 toward the Food Bank Service Center (see "Votes at a glance" article for the formal vote). KCAO officials said they will run a capital campaign and continue to seek the remaining funds and regulatory approvals needed to begin construction.