With $22 million of funding from the state, Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health and RH Community Builders will cut the ribbon Friday on a housing project for homeless people experiencing serious mental illness.

Sierra Sunrise will provide temporary housing for up to 60 unhoused people with care available for people who have serious mental illness or substance use disorders, according to a news release from the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health.

The support facility is at 949 N. Parkway Drive near Roeding Park.

Residents can stay there up to 180 days as they work toward long-term housing.

“To be effective at addressing homelessness in our region, we cannot solely increase housing/shelter bed inventory but must also surround those experiencing homelessness with the supportive services they need to thrive,” said Amina Flores-Becker, deputy county administrative officer.

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Bridge Housing Provides ‘Wrap-Around’ Care

Bridge housing helps people with mental illness transition to long-term care. Services from a multidisciplinary approach focus on whole-person care, according to Ahmad Bahrami, equity services manager with Behavioral Health.

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Following the opening of Sierra Sunrise, the county will open Phoenix Landing in early 2024. Phoenix Landing will be able to accommodate 120 people. The location was a motel before it was rehabilitated.

The 2023 Point-In-Time Count conducted by the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care found 4,493 homeless people in the two counties. Of those, 36% reported having a substance use disorder, and 33% reported having a mental health problem.

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