Tracy opens expanded navigation center, officials cite services and $32.7 million in public funding

Tracy officials and service partners celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Phase 2 Navigation Center this afternoon, announcing the campus will expand shelter capacity and coordinate health and housing services for people experiencing homelessness.

"This center represents our belief that every person deserves safety, stability, and a chance to heal," Mayor Dan Areola said, calling the project a human-centered solution and noting the expanded campus will serve "more than a 150 individuals." He said the temporary emergency housing facility previously offered 86 low-barrier beds and that, over the past year, 236 individuals had been served by the program.

The mayor credited a mix of federal, state, county and local support for the expansion. "The city secured more than $21,300,000 to support construction, infrastructure, and ongoing operations," Areola said, listing American Rescue Plan funds, Community Development Block Grant funds, state housing support and homeless assistance funds, city contributions, and federal community project funding.

San Joaquin County Supervisor Robert Rickman told the ceremony the county contributed more than $11,400,000 toward development. "This center is about much more than providing a roof over someone's head," Rickman said, describing wraparound services that will include mental health care, substance use treatment, job assistance and housing navigation.

City staff and advisory committee leaders framed the expansion as the result of years of planning and partnership. "This isn't just a building," Matteo Bedoya, chair of the Tracy Homeless Advisory Committee, said. "It's a real investment in people and our local networks."

Virginia Carney, the city's homeless services manager, described the Phase 2 work as adding a "sprung structure" shelter and supporting infrastructure to increase capacity, improve service coordination and create space for case management, health-care navigation and supportive programming. Carney said the expansion is intended to strengthen operations across the campus and help move people toward permanent housing.

Restorative Pathways, the center's new shelter operator, was introduced at the ceremony. Sephora Atchison, representing the organization, said Restorative Pathways — which she described as having 55 years of experience in residential services — will prioritize trauma-informed transitions for people moving into the new facility.

Officials cited outcome figures from recent operations: a 90% average occupancy, 64 people "exited to positive housing incomes," 27 people housed through a "familiar faces" program, 20 connected to treatment or transitional programs, and 51 residents obtaining employment. City and county leaders said they will measure success by people housed and services delivered rather than by construction dollars.

After the ribbon cutting, city staff and partners planned to conduct tours of the new building and continue coordinating services on the campus.