San Bernardino approves 200‑bed modular "SB Hope" navigation center; Helping Hearts named operator

San Bernardino city council approved a contract Wednesday to operate a planned 200‑bed modular low‑barrier navigation center called SB Hope, awarding the lead‑operator role to Helping Hearts Hulin and authorizing first‑year startup and contingency funding.

City staff and Helping Hearts representatives told the council the campus will open in phases — 100 beds in phase 1, then a second 100‑bed phase — and will combine shelter, recuperative care, case management and housing navigation. "This campus is going to enable us to begin to restore and stabilize the lives of our unhoused residents," a city staff member said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said SB Hope is intended to provide interim housing, on‑site behavioral‑health and substance‑use services, and housing navigation at lower net cost to the city by using Medi‑Cal CalAIM reimbursements. Staff estimated the city’s annual contribution could be as low as…