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Tri-City Homeless Coalition is a nimble organization, with the ability to respond quickly and effectively to the emerging needs of homeless families and individuals. Whether a homeless person or family is living on the street or in their car, is in short-term shelter or moving from motel to motel until their money runs out, with TCHC they have a range of housing options and a full-spectrum of supportive services to help them successfully transition to independent living. TCHC recognizes that being homeless is traumatizing for people, especially children, and is well known for providing services in a dignified and respectful manner. We honor and support each client's commitment to their health and well being while maintaining clear guidelines and expectations for their return to community interdependence.

In the mid 1980's, local residents, businesses and community groups began to realize there were more and more people homeless in the tri-cities area of Fremont, Union City, and Newark. Local churches and social service agencies reported that they were overwhelmed with increased requests from homeless families and individuals for food and shelter. The Fremont Police Department also witnessed increases in the number of families with children sleeping in cars. In 1987, City of Fremont's Human Relations Commission held a community forum to discuss and take action on the homeless issue. The Commission recognized that only through collaborative effort involving local community members from faith-based groups, businesses, local cities, and social services agencies could broad community support be generated to adequately address the problem of homelessness. In 1989, Tri-City Homeless Coalition was formed to collaborate with faith-based and other community groups to offer meals, sleeping facilities and day program sites. In 1993, TCHC opened Sunrise Village, the nation's first emergency shelter that was designed and built for homeless families and single adults.

Today, just 19 years later, Tri-City Homeless Coalition has become the leading service provider for people experiencing homelessness in southern and eastern Alameda County. Serving over 1,500 clients annually, the agency as grown in direct response to the changing needs of homeless families and single adults. In 1998, we added a mobile health clinic to reach homeless individuals who congregate at food programs and parks. A year later, we launched Winter Relief, a cold weather shelter, meal and day program for families waiting to get into Sunrise Village Shelter. In the same year, we opened two transitional housing programs that provide housing and supportive services for up to two years for 7 families leaving Sunrise Village.

In January 2000, Tri-City Homeless Coalition launched Project Independence in response to statistics showing that as many as 50% of foster youth in southern Alameda County were becoming homeless shortly after emancipation. The program provides subsidized housing and comprehensive supportive services to help foster youth make a successful transition to adulthood. Project Independence was one of the first programs of its kind in California and the nation.

In the last six years, Tri-City Homeless Coalition has focused on providing permanent affordable supportive housing. This model integrates affordable housing and services, such as healthcare, recovery groups and children's programs, to enhance the social and economic well-being of residents and build healthy communities. Permanent supportive housing is considered to be a lasting solution to homelessness. TCHC's Board of Directors has committed to providing 1,000 units of supportive housing for low-income families within a ten-year period. To meet this goal, TCHC opened Rotary BridgeWay Apartments, 26 units of affordable supportive housing in Fremont in 2005. The same year, the agency entered into a strategic alliance with Allied Housing, Inc. a local non-profit housing developer with ten years experience developing affordable housing projects for low-income and special needs families. Under the alliance, Allied Housing operates as the housing development arm of TCHC. Both organizations share a common executive director and board of directors while remaining separate non-profits. Leveraging the unique strengths of each agency, the alliance provides greater depth of services, broadens geographical reach into eastern and mid Alameda County, and expands our capacity to address the causes of homelessness and increases the local supply of affordable housing.

Together, in 2006, Tri-City Homeless Coalition and Allied Housing opened Lorenzo Creek Apartments, a new 28-unit, multi-family housing project in Castro Valley and Mission Bell Apartments in San Leandro, a 25-unit renovated housing project for very low-income individuals and small families whose head of household has a disability. In 2007, construction will be completed on Carmen Avenue Apartments a new 30-unit affordable multi-family rental housing project in Livermore. Approximately, 90 very low-income residents with special needs will move into the new project. A model for green building techniques and the use of technology to increase energy efficiency, CAA is a featured case study in the Multi-Family Green Building Development Handbook published recently by the Alameda County Waste Management.

Our experience tells us that a homeless person may not be who you think. Most homeless people, says a former client, "want passionately to succeed". Tri-City Homeless Coaliton provides the support and tools that homeless famlies and individuals need to make a successful journey from crisis to permanent stability.

1988 - TCHC begins by offering beds, food, and day programs for 50 homeless individuals
1993 - TCHC opens Sunrise Village, the nation's first emergency shelter especially designed and built for homeless families and individuals
1995 - Louis Chicoine is named TCHC's Executive Director
1999 - TCHC enhances services with a mobile health clinic
1999 - TCHC opens two transitional housing programs for 10 families, the Howard Collins BridgeWay Apartments in Fremont and the BridgeWay Apartments in Union City
2000 - TCHC adds a cold weather shelter, meals and day programs for homeless families and individuals waiting to get into Sunrise Village
2000 - Nearly 1,500 clients access Tri-City Homeless Coalition services
2001 - TCHC launches Project Independence, filling a critical gap in the county's services for young people leaving foster care
2005 - TCHC opens Rotary BridgeWay Apartments, the first affordable supportive housing project for at-risk homeless families in southern Alameda County
2005 - TCHC's Board of Director commits to providing 1,000 units of affordable supportive housing within a ten-year period
2005 - TCHC leverages its housing programs through a strategic alliance with Allied Housing, a local non-profit affordable housing development corporation
2005 - TCHC expands Project Independence to serve 35 youth and 12 children and include comprehensive mental health services
2006 - TCHC creates its first Integrated Health Service Team, providing a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to health treatment and preventive services
2006 - TCHC/Allied Housing, Inc. open Lorenzo Creek Apartments, a new 28-unit, multi-family affordable housing project in Castro Valley
2006 - TCHC/Allied Housing, Inc. open 25-unit Mission Bell Apartments in San Leandro for very low-income individuals and small families whose head of household has a disability
2007 - TCHC/Allied Housing, Inc. open Carmen Avenue Project (CAA), a new 30-unit affordable rental housing project for 90 very low-income residents with special needs. CAA is a model for green building techniques and the use of technology to increase energy efficiency