Homelessness Initiatives

The City of Lodi received approval from City Council in October 2021 to purchase a location to develop the Access Center Emergency Shelter on Sacramento Street. The Access Center will provide extensive wraparound service in addition to overnight shelter, meals, and hygiene facilities. Development of the Access Center is anticipated to take 12 to 18 months from site plan approval to be completed and will have the capacity to meet the needs of the 2022 Point in Time (PIT) Count of 208.

Access Center Phase 1: Temporary Emergency Shelter 

On April 20, 2022 the Lodi City Council approved Inner City Action, Inc. to operate the temporary emergency shelter as phase one of the Access Center plan. The Salvation Army will be providing food and laundry services in collaboration with Inner City Action.  

Phase one temporary emergency shelter begin operations on July 22, 2022. The facility can house up to 49 individuals and provide wraparound services including, housing navigation, income advocacy, life coaching, mental health and substance use treatment, job readiness training, etc., these services will be similar to what will be provided at the Access Center once complete. Although the temporary emergency shelter can only house 49 individuals at a time, the objective is to continue to transition individuals to other programs or stable housing so that additional individuals can begin their path to stability. This in conjunction with continued outreach will allow the program to reach many more than 49 individuals. 

Community Development is excited with the opening of the first phase of the Access Center and the ability to provide resources to the community while concurrently working on the development of the permanent Access Center. 

What is an Access Center?

An Access Center is a low-barrier, service-enriched shelter that facilitates linkage to needed resources to help individuals and families exit the cycle of homelessness. Onsite services include intensive case management, hygiene facilities, 24/7 staffing including security, and janitorial services. An Access Center offers highly marginalized people the opportunity to regain safety and engage in supportive connections that allow them to move forward with rebuilding their lives, as well as develop pathways to permanent housing, income, healthcare, sobriety, and stability. To make sheltering more accessible, partners, pets, and possessions are allowed in a low-barrier setting.  However, low-barrier does not mean low-expectations. Violence, weapons, open use of illegal substances, or disruptive behavior is prohibited within the facility. 

What an Access Center is Not?

It is important to note, an Access Center is not a homeless camp. It is a safe and secure option to our unsheltered community with access to needed services necessary to progress towards a path of self-sufficiency. Security is a central component of the Access Center and consists of 24/7 monitoring of the immediate neighborhood, discourages loitering by clients, and responds promptly to any neighborhood concerns.  Additionally, routine patrol of the entire Access Center campus will occur to ensure the safety and security of residents and that house rules are followed. Janitorial staff would also ensure the Access Center campus remains clean and debris free on a daily basis.

This Permanent Supportive Housing project consists of one accessible and three standard, modular homes. Each house offers 490 square feet of living space with, appliances, utility access, and facilities. The lot will contain secured parking with an accessible electric gate, perimeter fence, and landscaping. Sacramento Self-Help Housing will be managing the City of Lodi’s Harmony Homes Project, located at 301 East Lodi Avenue, Lodi, CA 95240.

A family of up to three individuals may reside in each house. The tenants will be limited to unhoused Lodi residents referred by the Lodi Salvation Army, the Lodi House, the Women’s Center Youth and Family Services, or other Lodi homeless service providers.

Qualified individuals/families will receive a Housing Choice Voucher from the Housing Authority County of San Joaquin and (as required by that agency) will also need to pay no less than 30% of their monthly income (after exemptions) and no more than 40% for lodging.

As a Permanent Supportive Housing project, there are no time limits for how long a resident can live in a Harmony Homes unit. Our hope is that these four units will provide us the opportunity to work with and help these clients to develop a sound tenancy record and the skills necessary to use their housing voucher to advance to bigger and better housing, thereby freeing up the Harmony Homes unit to help another family to transition out of the shelter. 

Effective July 1, 2023 A1 Protective Services will take over the operation of the Lodi Safety Ambassador Program.  The program was originally initiated On August 1, 2022. 

 The Safety Ambassador Program provides a multitude of services including:

• Interacting with unsheltered person and providing resources for assistance
• Provide hospitality services by interacting with pedestrians in a polite and professional manner, offering information and directions
• Identify, report, and correct conditions that adversely impact the assigned patrol route
• Record the time, location, and nature of activities that are unusual, suspicious, or illegal activities and report to the appropriate agency and supervisor
  • Ambassadors will be required to have knowledge of local ordinances such as trespassing, panhandling, and other similar incidents that could occur within their route. 

Patrol area is identified in the Exhibit linked here.

The Lodi Committee On Homelessness (LCOH) is a community organization made up of stakeholders, community leaders, business owners, concerned citizens, and interested parties to address how to respond to the issue of increasing homelessness in the community. 

In April and May of 2015, two Homeless Summits were held at the Lodi Grape Festival to receive input from interested parties and homeless service organizations and advocates. A number of important outcomes resulted from those initial discussions, including the collaboration of a wide variety of homeless-related service organizations and the creation of a guide on local homeless services in Lodi area (PDF). Additionally, on September 16, 2015, the Lodi City Council adopted the Report on Homelessness in Lodi (PDF), prepared by the Lodi Committee On Homelessness and Past Chairperson John Ledbetter. 

All community members are encouraged to attend and participate in meetings of the Lodi Committee On Homelessness along with Meeting Facilitators Kathryn Siddle and Russ Hayward. Unless otherwise noticed, meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 2:30 p.m. at the Lodi Police Department ~ Rick Cromwell Community Room located at 215 W. Elm Street in Lodi. Currently, monthly meetings are being held via Zoom and the Link can be located on the meeting Agenda.

View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes of the Lodi Committee On Homelessness

• San Joaquin County Strategic Plan on Homelessness 
• Grace and Mercy Charitable Foundation
• Lodi House for Families
• Ready to Work San Joaquin
• Salvation Army / Hope Harbor
• Behavioral Health Services - San Joaquin 
• San Joaquin Continuum of Care
• Women's Center Youth and Family Services

The Lodi Police Department has been responsive to concerns regarding the homeless in the City and continues to actively monitor incidents while respecting the rights of homeless individuals and ensuring public safety. To report incidents of concern, related to homeless individuals, please call the Police Department’s non-emergency number at (209) 333-6728.

For other issues or concerns, please call:

It is important to know that Lodi has taken many steps leading up to today to address homelessness and low-income housing, including the following:

• Funded Salvation Army Emergency Shelter purchase and move from Downtown (Sacramento Street) to Stockton Street.
• Funded Hope Harbor Family Homeless shelter construction.
• Funded Lodi House acquisition and improvements (assists approximately 15 families per year with a 60 percent success rate).
• Assisted with funding for low-income senior housing development “Hotel Lodi.”
• Assisted with funding for low-income senior housing development “Cranes Landing.”
• Assisted with funding from repairs of low-income housing at Housing Authority of San Joaquin and Lodi House.
• First-time Low Income Housing Buyers Assistance Program.
• Added one full-time Transient Liaison Officer (TLO) and one part-time TLO.
• Measure L will add a 2nd full-time TLO when the academy and training are complete.
• Purchased police F150 to help remove litter when TLO on scene.
• Created Transient Outreach Teams to focus on quality-of-life issues.
• City Attorney’s Office dedicates 50-60 hours per month to homeless citations and prosecutions, focusing on repeat offenders (ten 10-100 day sentences of repeat offenders).
• Relocated over 100 people in need of rehabilitation programs and family assistance.
• Worked with Committee on Homelessness to encourage volunteer groups to end park feedings and concentrate services at Salvation Army.
• Multiple clean-ups of Awani Drive and other City properties.
• Worked with Take Back Lodi to make it possible for volunteers to work in public rights-of-way.
• Worked with volunteer groups to improve the homeless count to increase eligibility for aid.
• Advocated with Assemblymember Cooper, Senator Galgiani, Caltrans, and California Highway Patrol for better control of activity at Highway 99 bridge.
• Advocated with the same groups for fencing projects that have already begun.
• Assisted Committee on Homelessness to fund two ABC NorCal work training programs to get homeless youth trained for a trade.
• Provided funding for Ready to Work San Joaquin homeless job training program (9 Lodi residents housed and trained).
• Adopted shopping cart ordinance.
• Partnered with County to create the Continuum of Care to receive and distribute grant funds.
• The only city in the county to agree to fund a Countywide Homeless Outreach Coordinator.
• One of only two cities to apply for housing grants under the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP).
• Historically, the City allocates Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds on an annual basis for various types of social service projects that assist the homeless; such as Emergency Food Bank, Second Harvest, and Salvation Army. Projects also include repairs to existing shelters; like Lodi House, Grace and Mercy, and Salvation Army.
• Lodi Improvement Committee and Committee on Homelessness helped lead the effort to improve the accuracy of the Point In Time Count in 2019. This allows the City to better understand the demand for homeless services and to apply for funding.
• Clean Parks Safe Kids Campaign with more frequent park maintenance.
• Expired tag towing program.
• Received a $63,000 Grant from San Joaquin County to install temporary sanitation facilities at Chapman Field.

Access Center Press Release Updates:

October 17, 2022 Press Release - English (PDF)

July 20, 2022 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF) 

January 24, 2022 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF) 

Community Engagement Process Press Releases:

May 19, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)

June 7, 2021 Press Release – English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)

June 22, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)

July 8, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)

July 21, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)

July 29, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)

August 27, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF)  & Spanish (PDF)

September 09, 2021 Press Release - English (PDF) & Spanish (PDF)