Construction Of Dignity Village To Kick-Off In Alameda

ALAMEDA, CA — Construction on Dignity Village, a two story, 47 room Interim Supportive Housing project located at 2350 Fifth Street, will begin Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. with a kick-off celebration, the city of Alameda announced in a news release.

When completed, Dignity Village will serve the homeless, chronically homeless and homeless youth, the city said.

Each of Dignity Village's 168 square foot rooms will include a private bathroom. The project also boasts community programming spaces, including a dining space, community garden and courtyard, as well as meeting rooms, private offices for support services staff, and storage, the city said.

Speakers at the kick-off celebration include Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Alameda Community Development Director Lisa Maxwell, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, Senator Nancy Skinner, Elizabeth Funk of DignityMoves and Steve Good, President and CEO of Five Keys Schools and Programs.

According to the news release, Dignity Village has received $2,555,844 in operational funding and $9,225,536 for the development of the project from the State of California through the Housing and Community Development Department, and $2,654,622 in capitalized operational reserves from Alameda County Housing and Community Development Department with the support of Alameda County Supervisor Dave Brown. The city of Alameda is also contributing $10,855,995 towards the development and operations of the project.

"Dignity Village, and similar projects, will also help to significantly reduce homelessness in the Bay Area," Ashcraft said in a letter published on the Five Keys Schools and Programs website. "That’s because this transitional, or interim, housing is an important element of the All Home Regional Action Plan (RAP) to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the Bay Area by 75 percent by 2024, through creating permanent solutions, not temporary fixes."