About Us
Community Homeless Solutions is Monterey County's largest provider of housing and resources for people experiencing homelessness and victims of domestic violence.
Our Mission
Helping people transition to a better tomorrow.
Our Vision
To lead in ending the cycle of domestic violence and homelessness by providing safe housing, compassionate support, and opportunities for self-sufficiency through outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing and supportive services throughout Monterey County.
Community Partners
Who We Are
Community Homeless Solutions is Monterey County’s largest provider of homeless transitional housing and emergency shelter beds, including shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
For nearly 40 years, we have successfully impacted the community by creating opportunities for people to move forward. We provide information, motivation, and compassion to our clients through case management, counseling, referrals, mentoring, career guidance, and enrichment activities.
Over 200 persons find shelter each night in one of our ten programs. Over 90% of our transitional housing participants improve their income and transition into stable housing, while 80% of our emergency shelter clients move into safe housing.
In an effort to reduce and end homelessness and domestic violence, we collaborate with many other non-profits, public agencies, private foundations, community groups, and individuals. For those persons who are homeless or are fleeing domestic violence, we humbly offer our services and invite you to review our website. For those working to end homelessness and domestic violence, we hope you will consider becoming a partner.
What We Do
For over 40 years, we have successfully impacted the community by creating opportunities for people to move forward. We compassionately provide information and inspiration to our clients through group monitoring, case management, leadership training, career coaching and enrichment activities. our agency passionately serves men, women and children through several distinct programs.
Additionally, we work with local organizations, coalitions, leaders and volunteers to educate and inform the general public and to help shape policies affecting victims of domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness.
Our Story
Community Homeless Solutions has a long and successful history of serving Monterey County.
Formed in 1978, Shelter Plus was created in response to Monterey County’s need for a safe economically viable program to shelter and support people in crisis. Prior to 1978, the county did not have an emergency shelter to meet the needs of the growing homeless population. By partnering with the Department of Social and Employment Services, Shelter Plus was able to open the county’s first emergency shelter in Salinas for victims of domestic violence.
In 1984, a separate agency named Peninsula Outreach began operating a food service program in Seaside to feed the homeless, offering a soup kitchen and food pantry. Five years later, the agency expanded its services to include housing and opened the first emergency shelter on the Monterey Peninsula for homeless women and children.
In 1998, Shelter Plus and Peninsula Outreach merged to form Shelter Outreach Plus. The merger of these two nonprofits allowed the new agency to provide more efficient, cost-effective programs for people in crisis in Monterey County, while eliminating duplicative costs and services.
In 2015, Shelter Outreach Plus changed its name to Community Homeless Solutions to capture the spirit of our commitment to working with the local community to create solutions for the area’s homeless.
Since its inception, Community Homeless Solutions has been Monterey County’s primary provider of support services and housing both for those fleeing domestic violence and for homeless individuals and families. The agency continues to believe that support services and counseling, coupled with being housed in a safe environment, are vital to helping individuals and families make the step by step progression to stable and independent living.