The ceremonial red scissors were activated late Friday afternoon in the face of looming rains to celebrate the grand opening of the La Posada tiny-home village on the site of the old juvenile hall by Hollister Avenue and Modoc Road.
On hand were a who’s who of mover and shakers, but mostly the county Board of Supervisors, who provided the land; people associated with DignityMoves, the nonprofit who spearheaded the fundraising campaign to buy and build the tiny homes; and of course, staff with Good Samaritan, the nonprofit responsible for day-to-day operations. The idea is to give homeless people a room with a door they can lock and surround them with an avalanche of enough services that they can move out and into more permanent housing within six months.
When plans for La Posada were first announced, they were not warmly received by nearby residents who worried it would bring homeless people — until recently hanging out in their nearby encampments — into closer contact with neighborhood kids. Supervisor Laura Capps, in whose district La Posada exists, held a second large community meeting and five smaller coffee klatch get-togethers to address to such concerns. Residents begin actually moving in April 22.
