Tracey Carpentier, chairman of the Board of Bridge to Home, announced Thursday that the Phase I goal for Building the Bridge Capital Campaign, the community fundraising effort to construct a new permanent, year-round homeless shelter in the Santa Clarita Valley, has reached a crucial milestone.

To date, more than $2 million has been raised toward an over-all goal of $2.5 million in community support. Going forward, we have started raising the remaining $500,000 from donors who want to give before the end of the year. We expect to complete this effort during the early months of 2022.

This community support is in addition to the strong support from the city of Santa Clarita and the County of Los Angeles. Current gifts for the campaign come from local churches, civic organizations, community leaders and residents in business and industry, in the professions, and indeed in every walk of life. Whether our neighbors’ gifts are $5 or $500,000, their philanthropy to this campaign is recognition of the importance of the quality of life for everyone, including those experiencing homelessness, in our valley.

The new year-round shelter will be built at the Drayton Street location of the previous shelter. The site now stands ready for construction of a new, 19,000 square foot permanent building that will house 60 individuals and up to 32 family members – the first emergency family shelter in Santa Clarita.

During this final stage of capital fundraising, Bridge to Home expects to break ground in January of 2022 and to launch construction, with opening day happening in January of 2023.

“The board wishes to thank the entire community for embracing this project and for helping to ‘Build the Bridge’, for those experiencing homelessness in our valley”, Carpentier said. “I am grateful to all who have supported this campaign. Deepest appreciation to Executive Director, Mike Foley, for his dedication to the project. I thank Hunt Braly and Peggy Edwards, Campaign Co-Chairs, as well as the entire board, 100% of whom have financially contributed to the campaign. Building this shelter will support the enhanced services Bridge to Home has successfully developed to help house people more quickly than ever before.”