BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Brundage Lane Navigation Center in Bakersfield recently announced that they have completed an expansion and added more than a hundred beds and other amenities to the facility. The BLNC, originally opened in 2020, has transitioned 208 unhoused Kern County residents out of the shelter and into permanent housing.
Secretary for the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Lourdes M. Castro Ramirez attended the ribbon cutting event at the BLNC on Wednesday.
"This event that brought together over 100 people demonstrates that when community comes together, when people work across sectors, from housing to health, to the city, the county, the state and federal entities, we can solve homelessness," said Castro Ramirez.
The expansion, funded by the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan Act, not only increased the number of beds in the center, it also includes a new pet kennel that can hold 50 animals, additional outdoor recreational space, and a recuperative care dorm run by Kern Medical.
Emily Duran, Chief Executive Officer of Kern Health Systems, says in order to provide the most effective care, the best approach is a holistic approach.
"Our vision is no longer just worrying about the medical field. It really has transitioned and focused on the whole person care approach. There is no way that those individuals that do not even know where they are going to live after they are discharged from the hospital will be able to focus on their full recovery," said Duran.
According to Vice President of Strategic Development for Kern Medical Natalee Garrett, the recuperative dorm features a total of 19 beds, with 5 isolation rooms and two procedure rooms where patients can receive wound and infection care.
"We need a recuperative care dorm where people who are homeless or are living in shelters can come and recover with IV medications, antibiotics, IV therapy, or any type of complex wound care or dressing change," said Garrett.
Garrett also notes that the recuperative care dorm will have resources for those experiencing mental health issues.
"We have already onboarded the psychiatrist, and we also have a staff of four therapists that we are going to be hiring to service the four major shelters in the area," said Garrett.
Though Bakersfield has increased the number of shelter beds in recent years, Mayor Karen Goh acknowledges much more needs to be done in order to combat homelessness.
"There are more individuals entering homelessness than cities can build shelters and housing. Our point-in-time count of our HMIS data shows that," the mayor said.
Goh says that she and other big-city mayors are looking to reform policies in order to address the root issues of homelessness.
"To reform policies around mental health, around substance abuse, and we've also pushed for an ongoing funding to cities to support our housing and our homeless services," said Goh.
As part of the 2023 state budget, the Newsom administration has allocated $1 billion to be distributed locally through the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program to continue to support local and municipal efforts to combat homelessness.
