Project Timeline

Sutter Health launches a three-year pilot project with $10 million in matching grants to encourage innovative and collaborative responses to the homelessness – with a focus on creating low-barrier housing.

Getting to Zero (PDF)

Sutter Health Valley Area holds a series of meetings with local leaders, homeless services coordinators, and key stakeholders to share their idea for matching grants. Those gathered are challenged to “think big” about how to address homelessness.

A City-led team that includes planning, police and social services, reaches out to community, faith, and business leaders to discuss ideas and options. Involved in those City-led initial conversations were:

• Reed and Susan Youmans, downtown business owners looking to help those living unsheltered in Davis.
• Maria Ogrydziak and Martha Teeter of Davis Opportunity Village (DOVe), a faith-based organization with a goal to build a tiny home village.
• Bill Pride, executive director of Davis Community Meals and Housing (DCMH), longtime homelessness services provider in need of a new facility.
• Yolo County Housing Authority, representing the county and its efforts to address homelessness.

Motivated by the Sutter Health challenge, the Davis group holds a series of meetings then aligns around a collaborative plan, where everyone brought something to the table:

• DOVe and Maria Ogrydziak, a local architect, commit to creating plans for a vertical tiny home village housed in multi-functional structure.
• DCMH agrees to provide land for the new building by tearing down its 30-year-old resource center at 1111 H Street.
• Reed and Susan Youmans agree to spearhead fundraising efforts.
  The City and County agree to provide expertise where needed and offer support for the effort.

Design and planning for the building begins.

Estimated cost to tear down the old building and build the new multi-functional four-story structure is projected at $5 million.

• The Davis team presents its plan to Sutter Health, requesting $2.5 million in matching funds.
• Sutter endorses the plans and extends the match.
• Supporters of the project take significant steps to keep costs low:
  • Architect Maria Ogrydziak offered to do most of her work pro bono;
  • Local company Harrison Construction agreed to build the structure at cost,
  • Building contractor Doug Buzbee volunteered to serve as the DCMH project manager;
  • Reed and Susan Youmans ensure professional fundraising support is available;
  • DCMH becomes project owner and creates a campaign cabinet to support fundraising and a construction committee to provide building oversight;
  • In honor of his father, Bill Pride of DCMH names the project Paul’s Place

• Fundraising efforts start with a celebratory campaign kickoff, Paul’s Place team announces:
• Sutter Health $2.5 million matching grant
• Partnership HealthPlan of California $750,000 donation

Davis City Council unanimously approves Paul’s Place construction plans.

DCMH hosts a groundbreaking ceremony and construction begins.

Lumber, labor, materials and other costs increase due to COVID-19 pandemic, adding another $2 million in expenses to the project.

Paul’s Place supporters strategize on ways to keep close the funding gap and keep construction going.

Yolo County Supervisor and the Davis City Council suggest pursuing federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds complete construction.

Paul’s Place supporters conduct research and make their case for ARP funds, noting Paul's Place is ideal for ARP funding because it is:

• an urgent financial need resulting from the impacts of COVID;
• a one-time expense;
• a project that would address COVID impacts on homeless and at-risk individuals and families;
• in alignment with County and City homeless response plans;
• a project where County and City ARP funds could be maximized with a City-County match, and;
• without ARP funds, construction would be halted, with ARP funds, construction would stay on track.

The County of Yolo and City of Davis each commit $1 million from their ARP funds to keeping the project moving forward.

Paul’s Place is an innovative local solution to a national challenge. The four-story multi-functional building will provide:

• 18 units of 300-square-foot permanent supportive micro-housing
• 10 units of transitional housing
• four emergency shelter beds
• enhanced day services including expanded shower, restroom, and laundry facilities to serve individuals experiencing homelessness in Davis.

Sutter Health launches a three-year pilot project with $10 million in matching grants to encourage innovative and collaborative responses to the homelessness – with a focus on creating low-barrier housing.

Getting to Zero (PDF)

Sutter Health Valley Area holds a series of meetings with local leaders, homeless services coordinators, and key stakeholders to share their idea for matching grants. Those gathered are challenged to “think big” about how to address homelessness.

A City-led team that includes planning, police and social services, reaches out to community, faith, and business leaders to discuss ideas and options. Involved in those City-led initial conversations were:

• Reed and Susan Youmans, downtown business owners looking to help those living unsheltered in Davis.
• Maria Ogrydziak and Martha Teeter of Davis Opportunity Village (DOVe), a faith-based organization with a goal to build a tiny home village.
• Bill Pride, executive director of Davis Community Meals and Housing (DCMH), longtime homelessness services provider in need of a new facility.
• Yolo County Housing Authority, representing the county and its efforts to address homelessness.

Motivated by the Sutter Health challenge, the Davis group holds a series of meetings then aligns around a collaborative plan, where everyone brought something to the table:

• DOVe and Maria Ogrydziak, a local architect, commit to creating plans for a vertical tiny home village housed in multi-functional structure.
• DCMH agrees to provide land for the new building by tearing down its 30-year-old resource center at 1111 H Street.
• Reed and Susan Youmans agree to spearhead fundraising efforts.
  The City and County agree to provide expertise where needed and offer support for the effort.

Design and planning for the building begins.

Estimated cost to tear down the old building and build the new multi-functional four-story structure is projected at $5 million.

• The Davis team presents its plan to Sutter Health, requesting $2.5 million in matching funds.
• Sutter endorses the plans and extends the match.
• Supporters of the project take significant steps to keep costs low:
  • Architect Maria Ogrydziak offered to do most of her work pro bono;
  • Local company Harrison Construction agreed to build the structure at cost,
  • Building contractor Doug Buzbee volunteered to serve as the DCMH project manager;
  • Reed and Susan Youmans ensure professional fundraising support is available;
  • DCMH becomes project owner and creates a campaign cabinet to support fundraising and a construction committee to provide building oversight;
  • In honor of his father, Bill Pride of DCMH names the project Paul’s Place

• Fundraising efforts start with a celebratory campaign kickoff, Paul’s Place team announces:
• Sutter Health $2.5 million matching grant
• Partnership HealthPlan of California $750,000 donation

Davis City Council unanimously approves Paul’s Place construction plans.

DCMH hosts a groundbreaking ceremony and construction begins.

Lumber, labor, materials and other costs increase due to COVID-19 pandemic, adding another $2 million in expenses to the project.

Paul’s Place supporters strategize on ways to keep close the funding gap and keep construction going.

Yolo County Supervisor and the Davis City Council suggest pursuing federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds complete construction.

Paul’s Place supporters conduct research and make their case for ARP funds, noting Paul's Place is ideal for ARP funding because it is:

• an urgent financial need resulting from the impacts of COVID;
• a one-time expense;
• a project that would address COVID impacts on homeless and at-risk individuals and families;
• in alignment with County and City homeless response plans;
• a project where County and City ARP funds could be maximized with a City-County match, and;
• without ARP funds, construction would be halted, with ARP funds, construction would stay on track.

The County of Yolo and City of Davis each commit $1 million from their ARP funds to keeping the project moving forward.

Paul’s Place is an innovative local solution to a national challenge. The four-story multi-functional building will provide:

• 18 units of 300-square-foot permanent supportive micro-housing
• 10 units of transitional housing
• four emergency shelter beds
• enhanced day services including expanded shower, restroom, and laundry facilities to serve individuals experiencing homelessness in Davis.