What's at stake?
Three homeless shelters will see funding to continue operating into 2026, momentarily dousing fears that the city can see some of these spaces close down soon.
The city also finalized regulations against kratom-based products
The Fresno City Council unanimously approved millions of dollars in funding for three homeless shelters, granting a reprieve to residents facing the prospect of returning to the streets this winter, and giving the city more time to fund long-term solutions.
The funding passed in a 6-0 vote, with Councilmember Tyler Maxwell absent from Thursday’s meeting.
The city’s total investment is about $4.2 million, and it will fund the Valley Inn facility on 933 North Parkway Drive, the Travel Inn shelter on 1444 W. White Ave., and Hope Pointe on 4061 North Blackstone Ave.
The move comes as state and federal lawmakers cut homelessness-related funding.
The concerns, which have hung over the heads of local leaders for years, reached a critical point when it was announced that two of the city’s shelters would close at the end of this year due to a lack of funding.
Fresno City Council Vice President Miguel Arias, whose southwest district houses the most homeless shelters in the city, was among those sounding the alarm. Arias said that the city’s funding move, along with years of investment toward the shelters, is proof that leaders are taking the issue seriously.
“I know from the outside, if you’re just waiting at the last minute, it seems like we’re not doing enough,” Arias said.
Thursday’s funding comes from the state’s Homeless Housing Assistance Program, which allocates money to help run local-level initiatives for the unhoused. The City of Fresno has been awarded about $41 million in HHAP funding since the program first started in 2020.
Maintaining shelters can cost millions of dollars, leaving cities like Fresno dependent on state and federal funding. It’s also what leads to staggered sunset dates for shelters, as each facility has its own timeline for prospective conversion into housing.
The Valley Inn shelter funded Thursday only extends operations to June 2026, for example, because city leaders applied earlier this year for $35 million from the state to convert the space into housing.
The city’s Assistant Director of Planning and Development Phil Skei said at Thursday’s meeting that the city is “optimistic” they’ll receive the funding, and that they’re expecting a response from state housing officials sometime within the next six months.
Local faith-based nonprofit started their own shelter initiative
The news earlier this year of shelters closing, and the precarious nature of homelessness program funding, inspired at least one local leader to become more proactive.
The Fresno Mission, a faith-based nonprofit that provides supportive services to the local unhoused community, announced earlier this week the launch of their Winter Crisis Shelter Project — an initiative they hope will help fill the gap from the closure of some of the city’s shelters over the winter season.
Matt Dildine, CEO of the Fresno Mission, told Fresnoland on Tuesday that the organization’s initiative comes after an increase in demand for shelter space in the city, including a waitlist at their own site. The initiative will see the Mission double their shelter capacity to 180.
Dildine said the initiative, which he said costs about $2,500 per night, got off the ground through the Mission’s own budget. He said that community support is “pretty critical” toward the success of the program going forward.
“It was definitely a walk of faith for us,” Dildine said of the funding. He told Fresnoland that Community Medical Centers donated $100,000 to the program, close to half the Mission’s total fundraising goal of $250,000, but he said the Mission will continue running the program until the money runs out.
Community members can assist the Fresno Mission through monetary donations and volunteer work opportunities, Dildine said.
Donations can be made online at the Fresno Mission website.
City approves regulations against kratom, with changes
Some forms of kratom-based products can continue to be sold in the city following an eleventh-hour change by the city council on Thursday.
Kratom is a plant that is native to southeast Asia that sprouts leaves that can be turned into an extract to be used in consumable drug and health supplements.
The plant has been in the crosshairs of state and federal officials for years, but no restrictions have come from either party. Last month, county and city officials said they wanted to be proactive in regulating use of the drug, saying that they fear the effects it can have on the city’s youth.
The city’s regulations were introduced by central Fresno Councilmember Nelson Esparza, as well as Maxwell, who represents the Fresno State area and airport district. Maxwell was absent from Thursday’s meeting. Their original regulation proposed a complete ban on the sale and distribution of kratom-based products.
However, Esparza added an amendment Thursday that would allow businesses to continue selling kratom-based products that have a significantly reduced concentration of 7-Hydroxymitragynine, more commonly known as 7-OH. Esparza said his amendment comes following his office receiving “countless” messages opposing the original regulations.
The city received dozens of digital public comments leading up to Thursday’s vote, with some commenters identifying themselves as out-of-state citizens. The comments, which were overwhelmingly in opposition to the sales ban, include many who claimed kratom-based products played an important role in their health journeys.
Health experts are mixed on the validity of these benefits.
Esparza’s changes were enough to get the council to unanimously approve his proposal, flipping northwest Fresno Councilmember Nick Richardson’s vote from his initial opposition.
“I think this is, in and of itself, a demonstration of what responsible government should be,” Richardson said.
Violators of these new regulations, which are expected to take effect early next year, could face criminal misdemeanor charges, fines of up to $1,000 and a maximum six-month jail sentence.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will hold their final hearing on proposed kratom regulations at their next meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Fresno County Hall of Records.
