What you Need to Know: A new 50-bed facility in Alameda will provide integrated medical and behavioral health care for adults experiencing homelessness.
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) joins Alameda Point Collaborative, LifeLong Medical Care, and other community partners in announcing the grand opening of the Alameda Wellness Campus: Medical Respite Center, a first-of-its-kind integrated care facility serving adults experiencing homelessness with complex health needs.
“The Alameda Wellness Campus is just the kind of bold, compassionate investment California must make to address homelessness and the complex health conditions among our most vulnerable residents,” CDSS Director Jennifer Troia said. “This project demonstrates what is possible when the State, local partners, and community organizations work together with a shared commitment to healing.”
Built with support from the CDSS Community Care Expansion (CCE) Program, this landmark project is a uniquely integrated care center for adults with complex health conditions who are experiencing homelessness.
The Alameda Wellness Campus is a community-based 3.6-acre development that co-locates recuperative care, permanent supportive housing for older adults, a primary care clinic, and a homelessness prevention center on a single campus. The Medical Respite Center, phase one of this two-phase project, opened its doors with 50 beds dedicated entirely to unhoused Alameda County residents with acute and chronic health conditions who are applying for or receiving Supplemental Security Income/Supplemental security Payment or support through the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants. The Medical Respite Center is projected to serve 400 individuals annually with 50 percent of those individuals anticipated to be age 60 and above. Construction was completed in March 2026, and the facility recently began serving the community.
“Projects like the Alameda Wellness Campus reflect California’s commitment to meeting people where they are with dignity, compassion, and coordinated care,” said California Department of Aging Director Susan DeMarois. “Through the Master Plan for Aging, California continues to invest in community-based solutions that help older adults remain safe, supported, and connected to care.”
“The opening of the Medical Respite Center marks a moment where we can open our doors to our most vulnerable community members and come together with our nonprofit partners to create meaningful, lasting change,” Alameda Point Collaborative Executive Director Andrea Urton said.
The CCE-funded Medical Respite Center has opened in Alameda.
The opening marks the completion of a decade-long vision of a $58 million investment in the health and stability of the Bay Area’s most vulnerable residents. The CCE Program awarded $32.8 million to support the construction of the project, including $21.8 million for the Medical Respite Center ($3 million will be allotted for operational subsidies), and $10.9 million for permanent supportive housing.
More about the CCE Program: The CCE program is a key component of California’s statewide effort to expand its supply of housing with care and supportive services, improve outcomes for older adults and individuals with disabilities, and prevent the cycle of homelessness or unnecessary institutionalization. It provides vital housing with care and supportive services for vulnerable older adults and individuals with disabilities who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness, a key component of California’s Master Plan for Aging.
The CCE program has awarded nearly $570 million to 61 housing projects across California, supporting the creation of more than 3,170 beds and units with care and services in communities throughout the state. To date, 10 of the 61 CCE-funded housing projects, representing 686 new beds/housing units, have completed construction and are in the process of initiating move-in. An additional 17 projects, representing 1,187 beds/housing units, have broken ground. For more information, visit the CCE website.
A Housing Approach That Works
From the very first moments of the Newsom administration, California has approached the decades-in-the-making housing and homelessness crisis with focus and urgency. No other state has devoted as much time and attention to these twin problems – and California is a leader in producing positive results. Governor Newsom, in partnership with the Legislature, has continued to make progress in reversing decades of inaction that has led to a 9% reduction in unsheltered homelessness, a first in more than 15 years.
Expanding shelter and support — Providing funding and programs for local governments, coupled with strong accountability measures to ensure that each local government is doing its share to build housing, and create shelter and support, so that people living in encampments have a safe place to go. In January, through a $77 million investment from California’s Cap-and-Invest program, Los Angeles announced the expansion and redevelopment of the largest public housing project in the region, the Jordan Downs Project.
Addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness — Ending a long-standing 7,000 bed shortfall in California’s behavioral health system by rapidly expanding community treatment centers and permanent supportive housing units. In 2024, voters approved Governor Newsom’s Proposition 1, which is transforming California’s behavioral health systems.
Creating new pathways for those who need the most help — Updating conservatorship laws for the first time in 50 years to include people who are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care, in addition to food, clothing or shelter, due to either severe substance use disorder or serious mental health illness. Creating a new CARE court system that creates court-administered plans for up to 24 months to help people struggling with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, often with substance use challenges, get the treatment and housing they need to recover and thrive.
Streamlining and prioritizing building of new housing — Governor Newsom made creating more housing a state priority for the first time in history. He has signed into law groundbreaking reforms to break down systemic barriers that have stood in the way of building the housing Californians need, including broad CEQA reforms.
Removing dangerous encampments — Governor Newsom has set a strong expectation for all local governments to address encampments in their communities and help connect people with support. In 2024, Governor Newsom filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending communities’ authority to clear encampments. After the Supreme Court affirmed local authority, Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing state entities and urging local governments to clear encampments and connect people with support, using a state-tested model that helps ensure encampments are addressed humanely and people are given adequate notice and support.
Download the full news release here.
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