This episode of The Nonprofit Report features the Housing Consortium of the East Bay (HCEB), a California-based nonprofit dedicated to providing housing and support for vulnerable and unhoused individuals.
Guests:
Darin Lounds, Executive Director
Marichelle Alcantara, Director of Programs
Kristy Feck, Board President and CEO of Toolworks
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points:
- HCEB provides a wide range of housing options, including 42 properties across the East Bay that span emergency shelters, interim housing, and permanent supportive housing for people who are extremely low-income, with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and special needs.
- The organization combines housing with wraparound services such as tenancy support, medical and mental health access, job readiness, and case management.
- HCEB was founded by disability advocates, service providers, and families seeking equitable housing for individuals with disabilities. The mission remains rooted in inclusion and independence.
- HCEB partners closely with Toolworks, which provides employment training, supportive services, and opportunities for individuals with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.
- Government funding, such as California’s Homekey grant, enables modular housing solutions like the organization’s current senior project with DignityMoves.
- The Vineyard Project in Livermore is a flagship model—combining housing, a homeless resource center, a community kitchen, and daily services through multiple partner organizations.
Other points on Housing Consortium of the East Bay:
The discussion touched on the growing senior homelessness crisis in California. Lounds emphasized that Social Security and fixed incomes are no longer enough to keep older adults housed in high-cost regions, like the Bay Area.
Feck and Alcantara highlighted the importance of early intervention. Homelessness is often a slow progression—couch surfing, then car living, and finally the streets. Interrupting that cycle early is both cost-effective and more humane.
Outreach plays a key role. HCEB often links outreach to upcoming program openings, allowing residents of encampments to move into shelter with familiar staff and neighbors.
HCEB’s leaders emphasized that real impact requires deep collaboration. The organization works with nursing providers, mental health teams, other developers, city governments, and fellow nonprofits to build holistic solutions.