San Bernardino Wellness Campus Opens 140 Modular Units, Expands Homeless Services for Men

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California formally opened its San Bernardino Community Wellness Campus on July 14, unveiling 140 interim housing units and an integrated network of services intended to help men move from homelessness toward employment, stability and permanent housing.

The $34.9 million campus at 1354 N. G St. was developed over nearly 2.5 years through a partnership involving the city of San Bernardino, DignityMoves, San Bernardino County and Lutheran Social Services. Funding came through California’s Homekey program, making it one of the state’s larger Homekey projects.

The new modular units expand upon a 70-bed emergency men’s shelter that Lutheran Social Services has operated at the site since 2016. Together, the two programs provide 210 beds, with the interim units structured as a four- to six-month program expected to serve about 280 people annually.

Kim Johnson, the first resident to move into the campus on May 21, spoke during the press conference and thanked Lutheran Social Services and the public and private partners that made the project possible.

The campus combines housing with on-site case management, housing navigation, behavioral health and psychiatric services, trauma-informed care, employment assistance, a computer lab, an intake center and access to food and other essential resources. The model is designed to reduce the fragmentation residents often encounter when services are spread across multiple agencies and locations.

San Bernardino County contributed $1.48 million in housing intervention funding, according to Derek Armstrong, a county deputy executive officer.

“What success looks like is stabilizing people and helping them begin that continuum of care,” Armstrong said. “The goal is to help them get back on their feet, become gainfully employed and receive the wraparound services they need.”

Armstrong said the campus is not intended to become permanent housing for participants, but rather an entry point into recovery and long-term stability.

“It is meant to begin the process of healing, help residents move forward and make space for the next people who need those services,” he said.

The county and its partners plan to track resident outcomes through case-management data and the Homeless Management Information System. Armstrong said officials want to understand whether residents remain stable one, five and 10 years after leaving the campus.

He said sustaining facilities like the wellness campus can be challenging because operating funds typically come from a combination of local government, state behavioral health programs, federal assistance and philanthropic contributions.

“All of those sources have to come together for projects like this to succeed,” Armstrong said.

A large commercial kitchen is among the campus’ central features. It is expected to support the preparation and service of more than 200,000 meals annually while also anchoring emergency food distribution for approximately 250 families each month.

The kitchen will also serve as a workforce training site. Lutheran Social Services plans to train at least 100 culinary participants annually, with each earning a California Food Handler Card and gaining hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen. The organization projects that at least 25% of participants will secure permanent employment and another 30% will obtain temporary work.

Jennifer Seeger, deputy director of state financial assistance, said Homekey was created to rapidly expand housing while pairing it with services that address the circumstances contributing to homelessness.

“Housing is fundamental to everything else,” Seeger said. “Affordable homes are fundamental to health, education, economic opportunity and long-term well-being.”

Since Homekey launched in 2020, Seeger said the state has funded 259 projects and created more than 15,850 housing units expected to serve approximately 170,000 people over the life of those projects.

She said the San Bernardino campus is among Homekey investments in the county that have created a combined 497 interim and permanent supportive housing units.

“The 140 interim units will allow residents to stop worrying about where they will live tomorrow, next week or next month,” Seeger said. “Instead, they can focus on the safety, services and stability needed to move into permanent housing.”

Kevin Terry, CEO of Tovey Shultz, said the project carried personal meaning because he grew up near G Street and had experienced instability earlier in his own life.

“As a builder, we rarely get to work on projects with such a direct purpose,” Terry said. “I have slept in my car. I made bad decisions when I was young, and the consequences were difficult.”

He described the campus as a place where people can be restored and regain direction.

“The prodigal sons are coming home,” Terry said.

Bishop David Nagler, a former director of the Central City Lutheran Mission shelter, credited Lutheran Social Services President and CEO LaSharnda Beckwith, the organization’s board, staff, donors and partners for carrying the project from concept to completion.

“I walked in and felt instant emotion,” Nagler said. “In my wildest dreams, I did not imagine this. What I saw was the continuation of a belief that people matter and that their care must be prioritized.”

San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. and Mayor Helen Tran attended the ceremony. Representatives for state Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes and Assemblymember James Ramos were also present. No other members of the San Bernardino City Council attended the public opening.

Lutheran Social Services, founded in 1944, operates across six Southern California counties. The organization has also opened confidential transitional housing for women and children fleeing domestic violence, adding 10 to 15 beds across two secure San Bernardino locations.

Armstrong said the wellness campus is part of a broader countywide effort that includes housing and navigation projects in San Bernardino, Redlands, Fontana, Muscoy and the High Desert.

“There is need everywhere,” he said, “and we are trying to fill the gaps wherever we can.”