Our History
The original site master plan for the Torres Community Shelter, completed in 2003.
Our roots at True North Housing Alliance go back decades, when a small group of Chicoans met in 1998 to brainstorm solutions to provide shelter to our community’s most vulnerable.
That same year, the Chico Community Shelter Partnership was formed, and that group of volunteers launched a nomadic, seasonal shelter. It was the largest provider of emergency shelter and related services in the area.
Then, the partnership set its sights on building a permanent location. In 2003, the year-round Torres Community Shelter was completed. It was named after Tim Torres, CCSP’s founding director. Tim was a passionate advocate for homeless individuals, as he had once experienced homelessness and addiction. He was involved every step of the way in CCSP’s efforts until he passed away in 2001 from a brain tumor.
Since that backyard brainstorming session more than 20 years ago, the Torres Shelter has provided shelter to more than 11,000 people and has served over 400,000 meals. Over the decades, CCSP continued to grow and provide more programs and services to unhoused individuals, including street outreach, Bridge Housing, Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Housing.
In 2019, our organization was reborn as the True North Housing Alliance to fully capture the depth and breadth of services we provide as a full-spectrum continuum of care provider. We have developed a collaborative, results-driven and solutions-based pathway out of homelessness.
Special thanks to our co-founders Colleen Jarvis, Mary Flynn, Andy Holcombe, Lynn Wilson, Howard and Diane Slater, and former Torres Shelter Directors Tami Ritter and Tim Torres. Thank you for making this possible!
Today, and as always, we move people forward, out of homelessness, with compassion, dignity and accountability.
Tim Torres, our founding director.
“There is no real answer to where CCSP began. Like all good stories it doesn’t end. … It lives on in the soul of our community.”
*From Andy’s Guest comment “Keep the faith, build the shelter,” published in the Chico News & Review.
Time to Grow
In 2021, True North began expanding and remodeling our shelter. We added more beds, allowing us to serve 177 individuals experiencing homelessness! We have also made upgrades to improve safety, privacy and circulation.
After the Camp Fire, True North’s team and board of directors knew there was a significant need to increase bed capacity to better serve the community. Our shelter’s beds are regularly full, resulting in our staff unfortunately having to turn people away who are seeking vital services.
We are now better equipped to serve all individuals who walk through our doors, including members of the LGBTQ community and individuals and seniors with physical disabilities and mobility challenges, a significant percentage of our shelter population.
Our plans don’t stop there. However, we need help to make them become a reality:
In Phase 2, we plan to add 2,000 square feet to the north end of the current Torres Shelter building to allow for Navigation Center, a central location for intake for new guests, housing services, inter-agency partnerships and administrative space for sensitive, confidential case management services.
In Phase 3, a two-story building will be added to the west side of the Torres Shelter property, creating a 14 single-resident occupancy transitional housing program for participants in the Torres Shelter’s vocational programs, such as its kitchen, laundry services and landscaping crews. This phase also includes a dedicated donation and client property storage space and an outdoor pet area.
Please consider making a donation today to help phase 2 and 3 become a reality!