BFHP History
Serving our community since 1970.
2022
CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) began as Project Safer Ground in 2020 which utilized 69 hotel rooms for people experiencing homelessness to shelter in place. The program transitioned to CalAIM in 2022 to leverage Medi-Cal funding to provide Whole Person Care to move clients into permanent housing with supportive services. Priority for these new responsive programs is given to people experiencing homelessness who are 65+ years of age and/or those with pre-existing medical conditions.
2021
Construction was completed on the Rio Vista Veterans Residence and residents began moving in in February. The residence is a 6-bedroom, 3-bath house in Rio Vista that provides a permanent home with support services for local veterans. The project was built in partnership with Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity, American Legion Post 178, Solano County, and the City of Rio Vista.
2020
BFHP breaks ground and begins construction on the BFHP Hope Center and Berkeley Way project in partnership with BRIDGE Housing.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, BFHP is able to quickly pivot our programs and services to support our clients through this additional challenge.
2019
BFHP expands its rapid rehousing program for Veterans, the Roads Home Program, in Alameda County and Contra Costa County with Surge funding. This new funding will serve approximately 500 homeless veterans over the next two years, throughout both neighboring counties. The program expansion is made possible by $7.5M in additional funding from The Office of Veterans’ Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program and built around a new rental subsidy initiative called “shallow subsidy.”
BFHP also broke ground on the first Rio Vista Veterans Residence, a new six-bedroom home for Veterans in Rio Vista, in partnership with Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity.
2018
BFHP’s Men’s Shelter, formerly located at 1931 Center Street, moves to a new location at 2140 Dwight Way on 1 October. This move allows us to consolidate our emergency shelters for both men and women at one location, which achieves some economies of scale in both staffing and services. Our transitional housing program for adult male homeless veterans (in association with the VA) also moves to 2140 Dwight Way.
2017
BFHP expands its support services for homeless veterans into Sacramento and Amador counties and rebrands the program as Roads Home: A Pathway to Housing for Homeless Veterans.
Alameda’s North County Housing Resource Center (Hub), operated by BFHP, is launched.
2016
The City of Berkeley grants BFHP site control for Berkeley Way, allowing us to proceed with the permitting process for our new building.
The City of Berkeley’s Coordinated Entry System (CES), operated by BFHP, opens in January.
2015
The City of Berkeley issues an RFP to develop and run a Coordinated Entry System (CES) for homeless services. BFHP submits a proposal and is awarded the contract.
BFHP moves to new offices at 1901 Fairview in South Berkeley. Our free Community Meal is relocated to the Lutheran Church of the Cross on University Ave.
2014
The City of Berkeley issues a public Request for Proposal (RFP) inviting teams to respond with a plan to develop a site on Berkeley Way that is currently a city-owned parking lot. BFHP forms a team with BRIDGE Housing and architects Leddy Maytum Stacy to submit our winning proposal. The team enters into a formal Memo of Understanding with the City, during which we must develop plans, architectural renderings, fiscal and fundraising strategy, as well as other items involved in the development of the entire site which will include a new building for BFHP and 117 units of housing (developed and built by BRIDGE Housing).
2013
BFHP receives “Most Improved Program award from EveryOne Home for its North County Women’s Center and Emergency Shelter, where the agency increased its exit rate to permanent housing by 63% and decrease the length of stay by 19% in one year.
BFHP receives $1 million dollar award from the VA’s Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program. BFHP, in partnership with Anka Behavioral Health, Inc, provides homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services to 200 homeless and underhoused veteran households in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties.
2011
BFHP creates a new transitional housing program for homeless veterans at the Men’s Shelter which provides case management, life skills counseling, family reunification support, access to the Veterans Affairs health care system, and assistance in moving to permanent housing.
2010
BFHP celebrates its 40th Anniversary. The BFHP Board of Directors sets its strategic priority to acquire land to build an integrated center for homeless services, including permanent supportive housing.
2009
BFHP launches a centralized Shelter Reservation System, in collaboration with City of Berkeley.
2008
BFHP develops a Housing Case Management Team to provide housing services. We assisted more than 195 men, women, and families into permanent housing in the first year.
2002
The Russell Street Residence officially opens its doors as a 17-person permanent housing facility for chronically homeless, mentally ill men and women. The RSR Annex, an additional independent living house for four mentally ill adult men and women begins accepting referrals in April 2002.
The Board of Directors officially changes the organization’s name to Berkeley Food and Housing Project, reflecting the agency’s growth and maturation into an organization whose mission is to alleviate and resolve homelessness for men, women and children in Berkeley and which provides a full range of services to meet the diverse needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
2000
An extensive renovation project is completed at Dwight Way, allowing for expanded services for women and children including 14 beds in Transitional House, development of the North County Women’s Center and an additional six-month transitional housing program for women working to move from homelessness into permanent housing. In 2001, the backyard at Dwight Way becomes a beautiful children’s playground and courtyard.
1996
Anti-panhandling legislation Measure O is passed, requiring the creation of day-time drop-in and resource counseling services for homeless persons. BEFP opens the Multi-Service Center at Trinity United Methodist Church on Bancroft Way to provide daytime respite and resource counseling services.
1992
BEFP opens the first permanent home of the women’s and children’s Transitional House at 2140 Dwight Way, providing 10 severely mentally ill and formerly homeless women with 24-month supportive transitional housing and intensive case management.
1991
BEFP obtains the use of the historic 2140 Dwight Way building for the first permanent home of its women’s and children’s emergency shelter.
1986
The agency is incorporated as The Berkeley Emergency Food Project and receives non-profit status from the IRS.
The City of Berkeley allows BEFP to house homeless adult men in the basement of the Veterans’ Memorial Building on Center Street. This is the beginning of our Men’s Emergency Shelter.
1970
University Lutheran Chapel of Berkeley volunteers launch The Meal Project, a free meal program for those in need. In 1972, the name changes to Berkeley Emergency Life Line.
