Bakersfield's affordable housing efforts face ongoing shelter pressure

The city of Bakersfield is working on hundreds of new affordable housing units. Some of these units are expected to open soon as demand for shelter continues to rise. Currently, there are 291 units being built and another 509 are in early planning stages. The construction is set to be completed by the end of this year. Next month, the city plans to celebrate the opening of 85 new units at the Renaissance at Baker. A 60-unit development on Auburn Street is expected to start housing residents in November. However, the need for space in local homeless shelters remains high, with more people staying longer. The average stay at the Brundage Lane Navigation Center has increased from 90 days to about 190 days since it opened four and a half years ago. The center currently supports around 289 people per week, but it has a capacity of 299. Many residents stay for eight to 30 days, but about 30 people have been there for over a year, which makes finding them housing very challenging. City officials are discussing ways to better support these individuals. They believe that the main issue is a lack of available affordable housing, rather than problems within the shelter. Bakersfield's city staff is working hard to secure funding for housing projects but faced setbacks. A grant application for a 51-unit project on Niles Street was denied, meaning that project is temporarily on hold. There is also uncertainty around $7 million in funding for a new Senior Center due to changes in congressional funding discussions. Despite these challenges, city officials maintain that the funding options for both the Senior Center and future projects are still available. They may need to reapply for grants to move forward. The existing Senior Center building has serious structural issues and plans for its demolition are underway, with construction aims set for early next year.