After several months of speculation over the status of its properties, the now-defunct Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation has told the city of Lompoc it will no longer be able to run two homeless shelters.
As of Jan. 17, homeless people living in Lompoc won’t be able to seek shelter and other services from the Bridgehouse and the Marks House.
Dinah Lockhart, Lompoc’s community development project manager, said people who’ve been living at the closed shelters can temporarily relocate to the Lompoc Warming Center at 816 North C St., where there are plenty of beds and food. The warming center will be open through Jan. 24. City officials are working on a more permanent plan for the future.
“We believe there will be at least an interim shelter provider at the Marks House,” Lockhart said, adding that city officials hope ownership of that property will be transferred soon.
In the meantime, people who would like to help provide for the city’s homeless can contact Good Samaritan Shelter at 346-8185.
Good Sam, which runs the warming center with New Life Christian Center, is also helping the city develop a long-range solution to house the homeless.
It’s uncertain what will happen at the Bridgehouse, which is managed by the county. County officials failed to return calls for comment as of press time.
This article appears in Jan 19-26, 2012.
