33 people coping with mental illness have a new home in SLO — and it’s bringing them to tears
When Jose Gonzalez hands over the keys to the tenants of the new Bishop Street Studios in San Luis Obispo — who each battles some form of mental illness — residents have broken down in tears.
One woman was so overwhelmed, she said she still might sleep in her car, which was her former dwelling space.
“That’s because she doesn’t believe her new home is real,” said Gonzalez, the residential manager.
After eight years of planning, the 34-unit, $12 million project on 1.3 acres at the old Sunny Acres orphanage site is mostly complete.
But already, 24 people are living there, qualifying under low-income standards. It needs a few more finishing touches before nine additional residents can move in.
Gonzalez lives at the complex as an on-site manager, and a case manager routinely visits the site to work with tenants.
“People living here are beyond excited,” said Michael Kaplan, community engagement director of the nonprofit Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA). “When they walk through and get the key, that’s when tears start to flow.”
A grand opening celebration, which is open to the public, will be held Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. at the facility at 1720 Bishop St.
Parking will be available in the lot below the site at the opening; after the event, the property will not be available for public tours or uninvited access, said Jill Bolster-White, the organization’s executive director.
“It has been really amazing to see this project come together,” Bolster-White said. “It took a great amount of coordination and effort from many different people and groups and we’re finally here.”
What the new SLO apartments offer
The former orphanage and juvenile detention center that was abandoned for 45 years is now a residential complex consisting of four buildings, including the refurbished orphanage, located on the hill above the intersection of Johnson Avenue and Bishop Street.
Three of the buildings are new and the orphanage — once a dilapidated den of graffiti, vandalism and unauthorized get-togethers — has been retrofitted to earthquake safety standards.
It includes a community room, where tenants can gather for group meetings, television and activities.
The new housing for individuals features either one-bedroom or studio apartments with kitchens and bathrooms.
Tenants are asked to contribute 30 percent of their incomes.
They are referred to TMHA for qualification for Bishop Street Studios through the county’s Behavioral Health Department.
TMHA partnered with the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO) to finance and build the project on property that was a conundrum for the county for years.
Project site was left to ruin for years
Over the years, various proposals to redevelop the site fell through, and the property had fallen into disrepair, becoming known as a hangout for local teens and college students.
“It was left there to collect nothing but graffiti and blight in the heart of a social services complex,” former SLO Councilman John Ashbaugh said in 2016. “The county clearly didn’t want this property. Nobody came up with anything until Transitions came up with an adaptive reuse of the building. Housing for the mentally ill is a vital need to the community.”
The new housing serves a sector of the community who make up some of the poorest local residents.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 71% of mental health clients report an annual income of $20,000 or less, and “an estimated one-third to one-half of people who live with serious mental illness live at, or near, the federal poverty level.”
The project has increased the amount of affordable supportive housing for adults with mental health needs in the city of San Luis Obispo by nearly 30%, according to the project builders.
“This is an example of community partnership at its best,” Anne Wyatt, executive director of SmartShare Housing Solutions, said in a statement. “The project represents a win all around, for the county, the city and our neighbors in need.”
THMA serves 4,500 clients with 40 programs on the Central Coast, providing mental health services that focus on recovery and wellness through work, housing, community and family support.
In addition to the new Bishop Street Studios site, TMHA operates another 310 units of housing for mentally ill residents.
Correction: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the name of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
This story was originally published November 4, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
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