SANTA CRUZ -- On Friday, less than four months after closing, the women's transitional house formerly known as the Gemma House relaunched as the Learning Independence Through Empowerment, or LITE, House. The house is being run by Janus of Santa Cruz, a private nonprofit substance use disorder treatment center.
In June, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors grappled with cuts to the county Health Services Agency, which projected a $4.5 million decrease in its budget. The board ended up cutting funding for the Gemma House, which provided transitional housing for women involved in the justice system, particularly for recently incarcerated women.
When Nicole Coburn, an assistant county executive officer, approached Janus of Santa Cruz in hopes of saving the Gemma House it seemed like a perfect fit, according to Janus CEO Amber Williams.
"Women's and perinatal services are the heartbeat of our organization," Williams said. "We can make generational impacts."
The LITE House, newly named by women involved in the program, is being supported by a network of diverse funding sources. A one-time contribution of $150,000 in AB 109 funding, allocated through the county's Community Corrections Partnership, helped to fund refurbishment, furniture and one-time moving costs for the house and its residents. The program will also receive $181,000 annually, allocated from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff Office's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment grant, to cover administration and direct services, such as case managers and peer support specialists. Funds from a California Board of State and Community Corrections Proposition 47 grant, allocated through the county, will cover three months of housing costs for each woman who comes to the LITE House, which can house six women at a time. Intensive outpatient services will be billable through Medi-Cal.
The change in funding sources will save county taxpayers over $330,000 per year, according to a statement from the county. Williams praised Coburn for getting creative with LITE House finances.
"She's done a brilliant job of balancing the budget in this challenging time," Williams said.
Like its predecessor, the LITE House will provide supportive transitional housing for women who have recently been incarcerated. Often, it can be difficult for these women to find safe, affordable housing, noted District 3 Supervisor Justin Cummings. A huge obstacle to getting people off the street and into housing is a lack of beds, he added, so continuing to provide a service that provides affordable housing as well as support to reenter the community was a high priority for the county.
"We have more beds in our community to really help women get back on their feet," Cummings said.
New Life, a private nonprofit organization that provides residential and counseling services, ran Gemma House before the budget cuts. In June, New Life handed over the reins to Janus, which only got the right of entry to the county-owned property Sept. 1, Williams said. The organization spent the month fixing up the house -- adding a fresh coat of paint, new flooring and hardware, new furniture and landscaping.
For Cummings, Coburn and District 1 Supervisor Manu Koenig, the quick work to get the LITE House up and running was a pleasant surprise, given how long county matters can often take.
"It gives me a lot of hope that we can come together as a county and a community," Coburn said.
Janus must finalize its lease with the county before residents can start moving in. Williams hopes to welcome the first women to the LITE House sometime around Nov. 1. Janus will continue to oversee the house's operations and work with residents.
"When we undertake projects like this to support women, we make a moral choice," Coburn said. "When we lean in with dignity and support, we affirm what we aspire to be."