DAVIS, CA – The Downtown Streets Team, which has operated the Daytime Respite Center in Davis since 2023*, will shut down operations entirely by the end of October, leaving the city scrambling to determine how to keep a critical lifeline for unhoused residents open.
On Aug. 29, Downtown Streets Team issued a closure notice to staff. Four days later, the city was formally notified that the organization will cease all operations on Oct. 31. The Respite Center provides daytime shelter, showers, meals, laundry, case management and housing navigation, and serves as one of the city’s two main entry points into the homelessness services system.
“With DST ceasing operations, SSH staff is seeking direction on how to proceed,” the city’s staff report for Tuesday’s City Council meeting states. Options before the Council range from contracting with another provider to operate the center, bringing operations in-house, repurposing the site for other services, or closing it altogether.
The closure comes even as demand for services continues to rise. The Respite Center engaged 111 people in case management in 2024 and helped 20 secure housing. In 2025, it has already engaged 139 clients, with 10 housed and more than 600 barriers to stability removed. The staff report warns that without a replacement, hundreds of residents will lose access to one of the city’s most important service hubs.
The DST closure is just one of several challenges laid out in the report to be presented to City Council on Sept. 16. The 120-page Homelessness System of Care Review, authored by Social Services and Housing (SSH) Director Dana Bailey, outlines the city’s current network of providers, funding streams, and service gaps.
“The City’s current General Fund budget directly related to homelessness services is $1,284,448,” the report notes. “Non-General Fund sources include the Pacifico Housing Project ($305,868), FY 25-26 CDBG Public Services – Homelessness ($65,820), and HHAP ($124,238).”
In total, Davis invests more than $1.8 million annually into homeless services, balancing immediate shelter needs with longer-term supportive housing and prevention strategies.
Yet, despite this investment, the city faces persistent gaps. The Social Services Commission, which conducted a landscape assessment of local services this summer, found that the most urgent needs are in shelter capacity, mental health crisis care, detox and substance abuse treatment, and senior-specific housing options.
The commission concluded that Davis does not need a new volunteer navigator program, as 8–10 professional staff already perform outreach and navigation citywide. Instead, resources should be directed toward “expanding shelter availability (daytime, emergency, seasonal, safe parking, and permanent supportive housing), extending service hours at existing centers such as the Respite Center and Paul’s Place, and evaluating year-round shelter options.”
One bright spot has been the launch of a safe parking program by HEART of Davis, the interfaith rotating shelter. The three-month pilot, which began June 30 in partnership with a local church, provides five overnight parking spaces for individuals living in their vehicles.
Participants sign a code of conduct and are monitored by a staff manager, who checks the site nightly and again in the morning. To date, the program has supported five individuals, with referrals to case management and housing navigation. The effort is backed by 26 volunteers from 10 congregations.
“The City of Davis appreciates the Yolo County Grand Jury’s recognition of the need for safe solutions to support individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly those living in vehicles,” the staff report states. “The City agrees that this is a critical issue and is committed to developing practical and compassionate responses across a spectrum of services.”
HEART of Davis has requested an extension of its permit for another three months and hopes to replicate the model with additional congregations.
The report also situates Davis’ challenges within broader state and federal changes. A July 2025 executive order from the Trump administration, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” emphasizes conservatorship and institutionalization for those refusing treatment.
At the state level, Senate Bill 43—set to take effect in January 2026—expands the definition of “gravely disabled” to include severe substance use disorders. The law will allow counties to pursue involuntary treatment for individuals unable to provide for their own health and safety due to addiction alone or in combination with mental illness.
These changes could have significant impacts in Davis, where service providers report high rates of untreated behavioral health needs among unhoused individuals.
The Yolo County Housing Authority continues to administer 418 housing vouchers in Davis, including 105 tied to affordable developments such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Cesar Chavez Plaza, and Paul’s Place. It also oversees Pine Tree Gardens, the Davis Migrant Center, and other supportive housing sites.
But housing supply remains scarce. Emergency Housing Vouchers issued under the American Rescue Plan are expected to run out by 2026, years earlier than anticipated, due to rising rental costs. The Housing Authority is pursuing additional projects, including 70 workforce units in South Davis and 19 project-based vouchers for Bretton Woods. It is also preparing to compete for funding from the proposed $10 billion Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026.
The staff report underscores the importance of entry points such as Paul’s Place and the Respite Center, where people can receive intake, case management, and coordinated referrals. Other organizations, such as STEAC, provide prevention services, while the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center assists UC Davis students.
Outreach remains labor-intensive. The report notes it often takes eight to ten contacts before an unhoused person trusts outreach staff enough to accept services. This underscores the importance of continuity, particularly with the Respite Center now in jeopardy.
According to the most recent Point in Time count, there are 162 people experiencing homelessness in Davis. Service providers believe the number may be closer to 300 when accounting for undercounting and seasonal fluctuations.
While overall homelessness has declined since 2019, the proportion of unsheltered individuals has increased, leaving more people exposed to the elements without stable shelter.
Despite the uncertainty, the report points to new opportunities. The city has launched a peer support program at Paul’s Place, where unhoused residents participate in weekly cleanups and civic engagement. It has also invested in training community health workers to conduct outreach at public sites.
The winter shelter program remains a core component of the system, offering 18 to 20 beds nightly and eight year-round emergency beds at Paul’s Place. The Pacifico site is being evaluated for additional transitional housing.
The report concludes that success will depend on collaboration. “The concerted efforts of our local government, community organizations, and citizens are fundamental to creating a supportive environment for those in need,” it states. “Continued collaboration and innovation will be essential as we advance our strategies.”
For now, the immediate question before the City Council is how to fill the gap left by Downtown Streets Team. Without a new operator or plan in place, Davis risks losing one of its most critical entry points for unhoused residents at a time of rising need.
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*Correction, Communicare originally ran the Respite Center
This story on the imminent closure of the Respite Center prominently features a picture of Paul’s Place. As a member of the board governing Davis Community Meals and Housing, which operates Paul’s Place, I just wanted to clarify that Paul’s Place is not closing. In fact, our operation has recently grown to include a year-round homeless shelter at this facility. A close reading of the city staff report and the Vanguard story makes that clear, but we should make sure there are no misunderstandings in the community about the status of our program and facilities. In past discussions on these difficult issues, we have offered to work collaboratively with the City of Davis to address the housing needs of our community. That will continue I am sure as we all face these new challenges.
I try to avoid the Davis trap of making it look like I’m an expert on everything, so just a short list of thoughts:
* Bretton (No) Woods Is somewhat peripheral, a challenge in terms of transportation costs and time.
* How much new money from Davis Collection Is staying local?
* From what I understand, the salary of the general manager, inclusive of benefits and other costs, is something like 25 to 30% of the mentioned 1.8 million homelessness related budget. A salary for one person and at least to some extent their family, compared to hundreds of people. And then of course a huge amount of unpaid volunteer time for the latter.
“a local church”
“A” local church? Not any particular local church? Were the neighbors even informed about their new “neighbors” ?
“provides five overnight parking spaces for individuals living in their vehicles.”
I helped my neighborhood in my hometown that had this come up as they are surrounded by churches with suicidal empathy and were going to be inundated. I warned them about the activists and H.A.L.s (homeless advocate lawyers). Nonetheless, we were all shocked when we met on Zoom with staff at the non-profit that would be running the program at the vitriol, unprofessional-ism and lack of caring about the neighbors concerns.
“The effort is backed by 26 volunteers from 10 congregations.”
That’s a lot of ‘effort’ for five vehicles.
Informative article regarding future challenges of the unhoused in Davis. Unfortunately a very stereotypic take on the homeless is they often need to resort to extreme means to get money. So what ad pops up here ? One for CSL Plasma donation lab in Fairfield. The implication here is “super” classy.
Can we back up? Who is/was the Downtown Streets Team? It appears to not be affiliated with the City or the County, so where did it’s funding come from? We can get more background so we can better understand what did happen and what might happen next?
And if Paul’s Place isn’t affiliated with the DST, why show it?
Downtown Streets is a non-profit that has been managing the Respite Center on a contract basis for the City of Davis. They work in a number of cities in Northern California. Much of their funding was from grants, and I’m sure you’re aware of the challenging grant funding environment right now. So they are ceasing operation effective Oct. 31.
The council subcommittee (Partida and Neville) recommendations to the council are the last appendix on the report posted with tomorrow’s agenda. Here is what it says regarding this issue:
“We recently learned that the Downtown Streets Team organization, with whom the City
contracts to manage and provide services at the Respite Center, will cease operations
statewide, and that its last day of service at the Respite Center will be October 31,
2025.
Given the challenges associated not only with the current location but also some of the
infrastructure issues (plumbing and sewer line) at the current location, the
subcommittee recommends the following:
1. 90-day pause: A 90-day pause of operations at the Respite Center, beginning
November 1, 2025, to seek options for alternative locations.
2. Plan for continuity of services: Request that staff provide options in a plan that
addresses how those individuals who are currently served only at the Respite
Center will be able to receive referrals to services during that 90-day period. This
gap-filling plan should address options for the following, prioritizing if necessary:
laundry services; showers; referrals to services; and a safe place to be out of the
elements as the winter months arrive. This plan should return to council by the
end of October.
3. Additional support for overnight shelter: In addition, staff is asked to provide
recommendations for using some funding currently allocated for the Respite
Center to instead support overnight shelter.”