Banyan House Transitional Co-Housing Facility

FESCO — the Family Shelter opened its new “Transitional Co-Housing” facility, Banyan House — a multi-unit community living center located in the Cherryland section of Hayward, where families enjoy the privacy of their own rooms and share a kitchen, in December 2002.

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Banyan House accommodates up to eight families at a time for stays of 6-10 months. The additional of this new facility enables FESCO to care for a broad spectrum of homeless families who are moving toward self-sufficiency:

• families who need immediate emergency housing at the FESCO Shelter
• transitional co-housing at Banyan House, for families who have begun working on resolving issues that lead to homelessness
• low-rent, independent transitional housing in one of FESCO's four units adjacent to the Shelter, for families who have demonstrated commitment to becoming completely self-sufficient.

One of FESCO's partners in the renovation of Banyan House – a former convalescent home – HomeAid Northern California, the charitable division of the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Northern California, whose mission is building hope for the homeless. Construction started in April 2002, and families began living in Banyan House by Christmas 2002.

Funding

The builder members of the HBA donated materials and labor of over $200,000 to the $1.8 million Banyan House project. FESCO has also received public and private grant funding and donations to fund the rest of the construction project from Alameda County Housing & Community Development, the HUD Supportive Housing Program, City of Hayward, City of San Leandro, City of Fremont, State Multifamily Housing Program, State Emergency Housing Assistance Program, Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program, Federal Emergency Shelter Grant Program, Starbuck's Coffee Company, the FESCO Board, St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Clement Catholic Church, Mervyn's, Bechtel, and American Blinds & Draperies (in-kind). Although Banyan House is fully operational, additional funds are needed to complete the computer learning center.

Your Name on Our Plaque

A special plaque will be mounted in the Transitional Co-Housing facility as a special thank-you to donors who contribute more than $1,000 to help make the project possible.

Remodeling

The collaborative partnership between HomeAid Northern California and FESCO was HomeAid Northern California's third shelter project. HomeAid Northern California is a chapter of the non-profit organization, HomeAid America. Founded in 1989 by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, HomeAid America now stands as the nation's largest provider of shelter beds for the temporarily homeless. The organization has completed 50 shelter projects with 800 beds and raised more than $20 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

The project architect was Bill Alexander of Mullen, Morris & Alexander, of Hayward.

Standard Pacific Homes was the Builder Captain for the HomeAid portion of the project. Additional supporting builders on the project included Pulte Homes, KB Homes, Ryland Homes, William Lyon Homes, and Greystone Homes.

Community Involvement

FESCO has worked with Cherryland residents, Alameda County and an advisory team to make sure this project addresses the standards and concerns of everyone involved. Community meetings were held to gather input from neighbors and other interested parties so we can address their concerns and suggestions in site plan revisions.

A number of volunteers have pitched in to clean up the site prior to rehabilitation of the facility by professional contractors. On Make a Difference Day, October 28, 2000, FESCO and our future Transitional Co-Housing site got to be part of forging a bridge between willing, hardworking Cal State University Hayward students and a war-torn African nation.

The former convalescent home came complete with 25 manual crank hospital beds, linens and other furnishings. The Soroptimists worked with the International Medical Foundation to salvage surplus medical equipment for use in developing countries. The IMF was thrilled at the prospect of acquiring a set of non-electric hospital beds for a clinic being set up in war-torn Eritrea, Africa. Cal State Hayward Project Impact students cleaned up the facility and got equipment and supplies ready for shipment.