South Market Micro Shelter Community opened Sunday

REDDING, CA — The South Market micro shelter community had its opening day on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Nor Cal United Way partnered with Pathways to Housing and the City of Redding to construct the project.

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There will be eight residents living there and Senior Program Manager Cherish Padro said to KRCR that it’s special to be a piece of the puzzle to help the unsheltered community.

"For us, it's really special to be a part of this project because homelessness is such a big and complexed issue and we know that it's just one piece of the puzzle."

Padro explained their hope is that the residents will be able to move out and find permanent homes.

"We anticipate that with the 10-month time frame that each resident will be able to live here, they will be able to move out and find permanent housing and then another eight individuals can cycle in, so it's actually more than eight individuals that we are helping."

For the people that say what good is helping eight people going to do, Padro said just helping one person makes a difference.

"I like to look at it this way even if it's just one person their life matters and they are worthy of being cared for and loved for and feeling like they can lay their head in a warm and safe place at night,” Padro commented, “That's the way that I look at it and I hope the community can look at it that way as well."

The original unveiling was supposed to be on March 1 but it was pushed back previously.

"We had some ADA things that were missing on the site like ramps for the micro-shelters, for the pallet shelters I should say and for the outdoor common area, we have those ramps coming they are going to be delivered."

"The eight residents that are coming on are not in need of ADA ramps so that doesn't deter an individual from being housed here."

The individuals went through an application and an interview process in order to be selected.

Two of those residents will be moving in Monday and another two on Friday, those individuals will have a week to get settled in and then the next four will move in.

The residents will have to commit to a code of conduct in order to stay a resident.

The community will also be closed to the public in order to respect the privacy of the residents.