By james art As San Bernardino grapples with how to deploy $23.8 million in funding for its new homeless navigation center, tensions are mounting over design choices, service policies and the ongoing challenges of securing the cooperation of the homeless. During a special council meeting held Oct. 24 at the Feldheym Library, Acting City Manager Rochelle Clayton revealed that despite an injunction lifted Oct. 2 allowing the city to clear the encampments, homeless people at Perris Hill Park are being denied services. probably due to shelter rules.
According to Clayton, an outreach effort conducted by Hope the Mission on Oct. 22 was met with unanimous rejection, with the homeless citing reluctance to follow the center’s restrictions. “The answer was clear,” Clayton reported. “They don’t want any restrictions or rules.” With that resistance in mind, Clayton expressed concern about the city’s plan to open a 200-bed facility, advocating instead a phased launch of 50 or 100 beds to gauge demand. “We don’t want to staff a facility for hundreds of beds that may go unused,” she added, highlighting the already precarious occupancy level at the upcoming center, which will be located at the former School of Hope site at 796 6th St., San Bernardino.
Modular housing models under criticism for price and practicality
The city’s shift from a non-congregational to a congregational modular housing model drew significant criticism, particularly from Councilman Ted Sanchez, who argued that the new plan ignores council-approved decisions made more than two years ago. The center was originally envisioned as a non-housing facility where each individual would have a self-contained unit with a bathroom, promoting privacy and independence. The newer pooling model—adopted by city staff—offers private sleeping areas but shared communal restrooms, aimed at reducing operating and maintenance costs.
Consultant Lila Laviano, director of Erna Enterprises, was brought in to reassess the project’s finances and questioned the feasibility of the more expensive no-collection option. “The price per square foot was outrageous,” Laviano explained. “Operating costs skyrocketed when we looked at the responsibility of cleaning over 200 individual toilets. By moving to a shared model, we’re reducing costs and maintaining better staff interaction to support sobriety and documentation needs.” The updated model will still retain at least two non-congregated units for families, detoxing individuals or people with specific health concerns , to meet the requirements of funders.
Despite the fiscal justification, Councilman Sanchez expressed frustration at what he perceived as a disregard for council-approved guidelines. “The RFP went out for a build that the council didn’t approve,” Sanchez said, noting that the official vote solidified support for a non-congregated modular structure. “Did those plans suddenly disappear?” Sanchez demanded a detailed breakdown of the project’s funding — including $12.4 million in ARPA construction allocations — arguing that city staff’s shift to housing assembly represents an unapproved departure from the council’s vision.
Mayor Pro Tem Fred Shorett echoed Sanchez’s criticism, questioning whether the navigation center’s restrictive policies could deter the homeless from accepting services. “We talk about dignity and allowing them to live their lives, but we impose severe restrictions,” Shorett said.
“I have no restrictions in my home. But, I understand, there must be some conditions and security. I’m not sure that sunk in [for me] until tonight that we are here looking for services and help for these people and they are not accepting it.
Funding urgency and project complexity
With $23.8 million already committed to the project — received from ARPA, HOME-ARP, CDBG and additional grants — the city faces pressure to spend the funds before the end of the year. SBPD Commissioner Junior Carrillo warned that any delay could put that essential funding at risk. “We have about $30 million to spend until December and we have to move forward,” Carrillo said, stressing that the city’s funding deadline leaves little time for further debate.
Estimated operating costs per resident are $3,333 per month, which translates to over $8 million per year to maintain 200 beds, raising questions about long-term financial feasibility and why 50-100 beds were suggested by Clayton during the discussion.
However, the pressure to meet fiscal deadlines is exacerbated by logistical concerns, particularly regarding modular housing costs. The initial proposal received just one bid for each housing type: $24.4 million for traditional construction and $28.9 million for modular construction, both of which exceed current funding limits. As a result, the city turned to Laviano’s consulting firm, which resulted in the recommendation of an aggregate hybrid model as the most viable option within budget constraints.
Councilman Ben Reynoso voiced his support for a phased approach to ensure the project is sustainable in the long term, advocating for transparency about costs and resources. “I want to know how many beds we can sustainably operate without relying solely on partnerships. It has to be a case of balancing compassion with practicality,” Reynoso said, pushing for a comprehensive account of the costs, partnerships and funding needs associated with the project.
Calvin calls for purposeful decisions
Council Member Kim Calvin, who has professionally served the homeless population for more than 30 years in Florida and California, emphasized that the Navigation Center’s one-phase approach fails to address the diverse needs within the homeless community. “It sounds like we’re trying to put every vulnerable person in one category, when the truth is, there are multiple categories,” Calvin said, arguing that each group — whether families, people struggling with addiction or working homeless people — requires different levels of support and access to resources. Calvin pointed to stories shared by city partners who have seen working parents living in vehicles and their children brushing their teeth in front of the car door in the morning before school. “Homeless workers have different needs than those struggling with addiction or mental health,” she added. “We need a plan for each of these groups, not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
The Navigation Center’s phased approach has been adjusted to include “safe stay communities,” also known as sanctioned camps, which offer temporary shelters with fewer restrictions. The idea is to provide immediate relief without imposing the rigors of the navigation center, allowing those hesitant about structured environments to access essential resources. But the sanctioned camp is still not an answer to Calvin’s recommendation of a purposeful solution.
Public frustration grows as residents demand accountability
In addition to council members, residents expressed their displeasure with the center’s progress and apparent lack of accountability. Pastor Reginald Young, a homeowner and accountant from San Bernardino, highlighted the delays and gaps in city planning, asking pointedly, “What measures do we have to ensure that the funds are used successfully?” Young’s concerns echo a broader sentiment in community, especially given that additional allocations – including $4.6 million for the Waterman Corridor and $11 million for the Highland Corridor – have yet to result in visible improvements.
Councilman Sanchez further criticized the council presentation, calling it overly complicated and scattered, saying city staff should have broken the project down into clear, actionable parts. “This should have been split into three parts,” Sanchez said, saying that key issues — such as the vision for the navigation center, the operational plan and the allocation of funding — have been lost in the vagueness of the current proposal.
Despite extensive debate, the council voted to move forward with the modular aggregate hybrid approach, formalizing a proposal for a comprehensive breakdown of all project funding and operational resources to be reviewed at a workshop/special meeting to be announced. Councilmember Reynoso, who seconded the proposal, acknowledged Acting City Manager Clayton’s initiative to explore alternative solutions, but stressed the need for council oversight moving forward. “I appreciate what you did, but Councilor Sanchez is right that this should have been brought to the council first. But I appreciate you and the work you do.
The way forward
As the city grapples with its escalating homelessness crisis, the Navigation Center remains a polarizing project emblematic of the broader challenges of managing limited resources while addressing the diverse and pressing needs of unhoused residents. As the clock ticks down on the December funding deadline, city leaders must balance operational sustainability, community support and decent service delivery to make the Navigation Center a viable solution for San Bernardino’s homeless population.