16-04-2025
Lodi transitional housing project gets funding boost
Apr. 16—A Lodi housing project aimed at reducing homelessness received another funding boost this week.
Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, presented a $500,000 check to the City of Lodi while visiting the Reimagined Housing on Main project Tuesday morning. The project, located at 22 S. Main St., is currently in its second phase of development, which involves rehabilitation of the third floor, frontage improvements and construction of a courtyard.
Harder said the city has been a leader in combating homelessness, and that the Main Street project was Lodi's next step in creating transitional housing.
"The model to address homelessness in Lodi has always been transitional housing," Harder said. "If you can get folks off the street that only helps a little bit, then you can actually get them into a place and stay for a longer time to get back on their feet. And that's what this building is all about."
Unsheltered individuals with jobs or other steady income will be housed in the 40-unit Main Street development, and will have access to continued wraparound services until they are able to progress to other permanent housing opportunities.
Housing referrals will be received from local social service providers such as Lodi's access center on Sacramento Street and the Salvation Army Hope Harbor. Tenants will have a maximum 24 months to find permanent housing, and they must be MediCal recipients and be living in a shelter or a program of the referring agency.
Reimagined Housing is part of the San Joaquin Community Response to Homelessness the Lodi City Council adopted in 2021, which outlined goals and strategies that included increasing access and reducing barriers to homeless crisis response services, as well as and ensuring households experiencing homelessness have access to affordable housing.
The city partnered with the Health Plan of San Joaquin in 2023 to get the project off the ground, which has been funded by $3 million in grants from the San Joaquin County Health Commission, as well as Regional Early Action Planning monies.
"These projects are not easy tasks," Lodi Mayor Cameron Bregman said after accepting Harder's check. "They take years to complete, but they matter. And anything that's worthwhile takes a while. It's that hard work we see in our city every single day that we continue to provide."
Bregman said that any project undertaken by the city or private entities takes hard work, perseverance and a vision, adding that Reimagined Housing was also approved to help spur development along Main Street.
"We've had a huge issue with this area, so being able to spur that type of growth with development is something that's absolutely necessary to help expand our downtown and economic growth," he said.
"And while we have a long way to go, this city will never stop pushing for improvement."
Harder said the project's ability to improve Main Street will ultimately revitalize Downtown Lodi.
"Main Street has a history going back to Lodi's roots as a railroad town hundreds of years ago," he said.
"The train tracks we still have here are what this city was built alongside, and Main Street was always a shining gem. It has that opportunity to do so again, and an investment like this isn't just important for the homeless folks trying to get into transitional housing, it's important for the whole city."
Tuesday morning was the second time Harder had made a contribution to Lodi's homelessness efforts, as he secured $500,000 for the Sapphire Creek Apartments on Stockton Street near Salas Park.
The project, proposed by Delta Development Communities of Stockton, will be located in what is currently a vacant three-acre piece of city property bordered by Salas Park to the south, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the west, Century Self Storage to the north, and Stockton Street to the east.
The applicant intends to build two three-story buildings with a total 110 apartment units for very low-income seniors ages 55 and older.
