Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homeless Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Salvation Army to close long‑running Depot family crisis shelter; county, partners discuss alternatives
Summary
The Salvation Army told the board it must close its Depot Family Crisis Center after 35 years because of financial deficits and building concerns. The agency plans to keep Hope Vista housing and open a family services center at 410 J Street with Partnership Health Plan capital support; county leaders discussed short‑ and longer‑term options to preserve family shelter capacity.
Captain Larry Carmichael of the Salvation Army told the Yuba County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 that the Depot Family Crisis Center—a 63‑bed family shelter and program the agency has operated for 35 years—will close following a review of finances and building condition.
Carmichael said the Depot operated at a long‑term deficit and the condition of the building prevents the Salvation Army from maintaining the program in its existing form. ‘‘We will be maintaining Hope Vista,’’ Carmichael said, referring to an eight‑unit site that provides two‑bedroom homes, and he described plans to open a family services center at 410 J Street using a capital improvement grant from Partnership Health Plan of California. The new center is expected to begin serving Yuba County residents in late spring and will include housing navigation, rental and utility assistance and enhanced care management.
Board members asked about bed counts and transitional options. Staff and Salvation Army representatives said the current depot has 63 beds and that occupancy varies by family size; the facility often operates between mid‑thirties to high‑fifties in terms of bed use. Carmichael and board members discussed short‑term solutions (regional providers and interim partnerships) and longer‑term options including Habitat and other partners. The county indicated the depot is actively for sale and the lease on the railroad property is year‑to‑year, which county staff said may ease transfer.
Supervisors and community members expressed regret at the loss of shelter capacity and asked staff to pursue creative partnerships to preserve family shelter beds.
