VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Today, the City of Victorville announced it awarded a contract for phase one of its Wellness Center Campus construction to Angeles Contractor Inc. in the amount of $4.8 million.
Earthwork and installation of underground utilities for the low-barrier homeless shelter and medical clinic will begin in April. Construction of the Wellness Center Campus, which is expected to be complete in December, is being funded through a $28 million Homekey Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
“Envisioned with the assistance of our Homelessness Solutions Task Force, the Wellness Center is critical to our strategy to reduce homelessness in Victorville,” said Victorville Mayor Debra Jones. “By increasing access to shelter, health care, and supportive services, the Wellness Center will help our community’s most vulnerable stabilize their lives.”
Combining a low-barrier emergency shelter, recuperative care facility, medical clinic, interim housing, and wraparound support services; Victorville’s Wellness Center Campus will be the first facility of its kind in San Bernardino County.
The Wellness Center will be located on 4.5-acres of City-owned land at 16902 First Street.
The Wellness Center Campus has been planned with a housing first approach with low-barrier or minimal requirements for entry. It will offer interim housing and supportive services for homeless and those who are at risk of becoming homeless.
The non-congregate design of the modular housing units will offer 110 separate units with a minimum capacity of 170 beds.
Along with interim housing beds, the Wellness Center Campus will include community space and offer a wide variety of support services such as a medical clinic, recuperative care, substance abuse counseling, job training and placement, public benefits assistance, pet care and housing navigation.
Additional amenities such as a community garden, recreational sports courts, dog kennel and landscaped open space have been incorporated into the design.
Altogether the housing units and support service buildings will comprise 25,920-square-feet of new construction.
Future phases of the Wellness Center construction include the modular shelter and bathroom units, the 9,600 square feet of community buildings, installation of the modular units, and remaining site work such as pavement and lighting.
The City of Victorville was awarded its Homekey Grant in December 2021 making it the first jurisdiction in Southern California to benefit from the second round of the state’s grant program, which was created by the Governor and Legislature “to make real progress in addressing homelessness.”
The City of Victorville has the second-highest concentration of homeless persons in San Bernardino County.
More information about the City of Victorville’s homelessness solutions strategy is available online at VictorvilleCA.gov/HomelessnessSolutions.
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