$3.88M Kern Street Facility Expands to 40 Behavioral Health Beds in Muscoy

A new $3.88 million adult residential facility in Muscoy is expanding San Bernardino County’s behavioral health housing system with 30 additional beds for adults experiencing serious mental illness, housing instability or reintegration challenges.

San Bernardino County, Helping Hearts California, Inland Empire Health Plan and Molina Healthcare celebrated the grand opening of the Kern Street Adult Residential Facility in late June, marking the completion of a project county officials say will serve approximately 200 people each year.

The licensed residential care facility provides housing, 24-hour supervised care and wraparound services for adults ages 18 and older who need a structured living environment while working toward independence and long-term stability.

The project expands an existing 10-bed social rehabilitation facility into a 40-bed campus in Muscoy, an unincorporated community northwest of San Bernardino. The 33,158-square-foot site includes four buildings, three newly constructed manufactured homes, a remodeled residence and a shared community space.

San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. said the facility is designed to serve adults who have been formerly incarcerated, are at risk of homelessness or need behavioral health support before their situation worsens.

“This facility will serve the forensic population, those who have been formerly incarcerated and may be at risk of homelessness, by getting them the help they need,” Baca said. “It will provide compassion and care to help individuals stabilize.”

The county invested $2.5 million in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funding and leveraged an additional $1,691,430 in Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program funding provided by IEHP and Molina Healthcare.

Baca said the county served as the lead agency because the facility is in an unincorporated area, with support from the Office of Homeless Services, Community Development and Housing, and Behavioral Health.

“It’s about a $3.88 million investment,” Baca said. “But it’s not just about the money. It’s about the number of people this will help over time, reshaping lives and helping people get back to their families.”

Residents at Kern Street will receive structured daily programming, life-skills development, vocational training, behavioral health treatment, community reintegration support and coordinated medical care.

Helping Hearts California President Christopher Larry said the facility reflects the organization’s mission to help people transition from institutions, hospitals or other difficult circumstances into more stable community-based settings.

“Helping Hearts was created to bridge the gap for individuals stepping down from institutions and hospitals, and to help them better integrate into the community,” Larry said. “We help them stabilize, access community services and work toward living a productive life.”

Larry said the expansion took about two and a half to three years to develop and was built around a need he believes is often misunderstood by the public.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that people experiencing homelessness don’t want to work or don’t want anything for themselves,” Larry said. “That’s not the case. Sometimes they just need support to get back on their feet, reintegrate into the community and reconnect with their families.”

Board of Supervisors Chairperson and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe said the facility strengthens the county’s broader behavioral health system by increasing access to residential care.

“This facility represents an important investment in our county’s behavioral health system,” Rowe said. “By expanding residential care capacity, we are providing residents with greater access to the housing, care and support they need to thrive and maintain long-term stability.”

The project was made possible through years of coordination among Helping Hearts California, the county Board of Supervisors, IEHP, Molina Healthcare and several county departments, including Behavioral Health, Public Health, Aging and Adult Services–Public Guardian, the Sheriff’s Department, and Community Development and Housing.

Josh LaBarge, a Helping Hearts California board member, said the opening reflects what the organization was built to do.

“Opening Kern Street is a milestone that reflects everything Helping Hearts California was built to do: provide compassionate, high-quality residential care for individuals who need it most, and do it in genuine partnership with the community,” LaBarge said.

For Baca, the facility is one part of a larger effort to address homelessness, behavioral health and quality-of-life concerns across San Bernardino County.

“This is a small piece of the answer,” Baca said. “It’s not going to solve homelessness, but it is a good investment and hopefully the beginning of many more investments to come in our county.”

Larry said success over the next five years would mean seeing residents regain stability, secure housing and return to a better place in their lives.

“Success for this project means reintegrating people back into the community, getting them back on their feet and helping them return to a better living situation,” Larry said.

The Kern Street Adult Residential Facility is located at 2421 Kern Street in Muscoy, an unincorporated community northwest of San Bernardino.