In March of 2023, United Way of Northern California, in partnership with The City of Redding and Pathways to Housing, opened the South Market Micro Shelter Community. The community consists of 8 single-occupancy micro shelter units for transitional housing. The program is a step in the right direction to give much-needed support and options to our unhoused community. "The unhoused population is a part of our community, and it's important that we show them our support," expressed Cherish Padro, UWNC Micro Shelter Project Supervisor.
Addressing the complex issue of homelessness requires robust collaboration and partnerships, and support from a variety of social service providers, including the City of Redding, Shasta County, and the State of California. Multiple options are needed to adequately meet the growing needs of the unhoused population, where personal histories and necessary next steps vary per person.
This project isn’t about one organization; it is about coming together in support of our unhoused population with the desire to see all people from every area of our community thrive. You can hear about the Micro Shelter Community from local news sources Shasta Thrive, Record Searchlight & KRCR.
United Way is Seeking Donations for Micro Shelter Items!
Do you have extra toothpaste at your house? Bring it over! Do you have extra unused sheets or towels? Bring them too! Click the button below for the full list of needed items.
Please bring donated items to UWNC’s Redding office at 3300 Churn Creek Road. Contact Micro Shelter Program Senior Site Coordinator Asia Clark at (530) 355-8855 or aclark@micro-shelter.com to find out what items are currently most needed. We thank you in advance for your generosity! If you would like to give to the project itself, visit our giving page and select the drop-down "UWNC Shelter Project."
We sat down with UWNC's CEO, Larry Olmstead, to ask about the new South Market Micro Shelter Community:
Q: What are your hopes for the South Market Micro Shelter Community?
"This project really is about helping the community examine different options for addressing homelessness. We all understand this is a complex and difficult issue for many communities. What we've learned in our work is that there is no quick fix, no one answer, and no one-size-fits-all solution, so there needs to be a lot of different options, and the City of Redding has recognized that.
This tiny home concept has had success in various communities around the nation, and so it becomes just one of the options we can make available in our community. We're going to start with a site that has eight tiny homes. We will make sure that the site is secure and safe and that resources are made available to the residents so that they can begin making the transition into a more permanent housing situation.
My hope for the program is, of course, that it demonstrates what we believe it will demonstrate; that this is a successful option and model for some unsheltered people, and therefore, the community sees the wisdom in investing even more into this option and creating a variety of tiny home sites in our community."