Plans for a temporary shelter for the unhoused in Antioch falls through

ANTIOCH  — After a potential partnership with a local hotel to shelter unhoused residents from cold weather fell through at the last minute, city officials are scrambling to find alternatives.

The city had approached DJ Hospitality, LLC, the owner of the now-closed Comfort Inn on Mahogany Way, to secure up to 250 emergency room vouchers for no more than $20,000 for those seeking comfort from freezing temperatures.

The vouchers were to be used on an “as-needed basis” over the next six months. Any unused vouchers would have been refunded to the city at $80 per voucher, a staff report noted.

Antioch City Manager Bessie Scott announced during a City Council meeting on Tuesday that the owner withdrew the offer on Monday “due to circumstances outside the city’s control.”

As a result, city staff have begun discussions with another hotel to explore a similar emergency model, Scott said.

“We’re also continuing to pursue other options, including faith-based partnerships and coordination with our county partners, and will provide updates as those discussions continue,” she said.

Mayor Pro Tem Donald Freitas called the decision “gut-wrenching” and “unfortunate.”

“We had resources dedicated. We thought we had a very good proposal. We were excited about it, and this is just a very, very difficult situation,” said Freitas. “So, I think the time is to be more proactive versus reactive, because summer is coming, and 110-115 heat can also be, you know, damaging to humans.”

City staff has conducted outreach to two local churches on potential partnerships, but could not proceed due to “unrelated operational constraints,” according to a staff report.

The City Council has had numerous discussions since December 2025 to find ways to keep its unhoused residents protected from the cold.

Antioch had the highest number of unsheltered people in Contra Costa County in 2024, but that number dropped from 413 to 236 in 2025, according to the county’s most recent “point-in-time” count.

Despite having a high unhoused population, Antioch has no emergency shelter for homeless residents, requiring them to travel to other cities such as Richmond.

During a Jan. 13 meeting, staff presented three options to councilmembers: rely on Contra Costa County’s warming center program, pursue partnerships with faith-based or community organizations to operate warming centers, or have a city-funded warming center.

Councilmembers gave city staff the green light to further explore Comfort Inn as an alternative, after factoring in the cost, resources, and insurance liability for Antioch to operate its own facility.

Contra Costa County opens warming centers during severe cold spells, when temperatures dip to 32 degrees or below for three consecutive days, according to the city.

While the county has confirmed it will activate warming centers when necessary, there are no guaranteed or identified warming centers in East Contra Costa cities, including Antioch.

Nichole Latrese Gardner, an advocate and the founder of Facing Homelessness in Antioch, said councilmembers and city officials understand the desperate need for a warming center or an emergency motel voucher program.

However, the vouchers would only accommodate a few people for a short period of time.

“It’s freezing every day. Why are we not using our own facilities? I understand there’s insurance and some things that they probably need to talk to their insurance companies,” Gardner told this news organization. “If we can have people walking in and out of Nick Rodriguez Community Center or Antioch Senior Center daily … I mean that could be a liability right there. … Why can’t we open up our doors for the unhoused people to sleep or have somewhere warm to be?”

She was disappointed local churches have not come forward to work with the city to set up temporary warming centers.

Gardner said it was also frustrating that, despite local nonprofits — including hers — repeatedly expressing their willingness to help over the past months, city officials have not reached out to coordinate or set up a warming center.

“We need to come together to figure this out. We can volunteer. We have people who will volunteer,” said Gardner. “It kind of feels foolish to be fighting the city to be included to help them. Why do I have to fight you … to help you in whatever area you need help in?”