BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Coming off the Supreme Court ruling that allows local governments to make laws against encampments, 17 News wanted to know where homeless people could go but found that some big, local shelters are already full.
17 News looked into three major homeless shelters in Bakersfield and found that most of these shelters are already at capacity. The three shelters are the Brundage Lane Navigation Center, Mission at Kern County and the M Street Navigation Center.
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The Brundage Lane Navigation Center had a weekly average of 245 of 249 beds occupied in its most recent census, however the Bakersfield City Council just approved a 50-bed increase.
M Street Navigation Center’s current census is 134 beds of 147 occupied, leaving only 13 vacant. The Mission shelter is roughly 248 beds of 256 occupied with 17 vacant. With a total average of 34 beds left over, almost 2,000 homeless people have nowhere to go.
Carlos Baldovinos, Executive Director of The Mission Center says, “There are plans in place. Looking at a plan, a strategic action plan as a collaborative, we are going to unveil that in the days ahead but we have so much work to do.”