Delores Mendoza
A One-Stop Solution for the Valley
When the rent for her apartment rose beyond Delores Mendoza’s means, she was forced to leave her home. With no place to go, Dolores spent the better part of a year homeless, struggling on a daily basis just to find a place to stay for the evening. She bounced from place to place like a pinball out on the streets. On nights when she was fortunate, she stayed with friends. She spent other nights on the streets, in outdoor encampments with other homeless individuals. On less fortunate nights, she slept alone at light rail stations and bus stops.
Dolores’ fortune changed when she found EHC LifeBuilders and the new One-Stop Homeless Prevention Center for the chronically homeless. Located at EHC LifeBuilders’ Boccardo Reception Center in San Jose, the One-Stop Center houses multiple public and private agencies who provide homeless services, all under one roof. Homeless clients, many of whom have no means of transportation, no longer have to travel from location to location to get the assistance they need.
As a result of an innovative partnership including the County of Santa Clara, the City of San Jose, Destination: Home and EHC LifeBuilders, the site officially opened on December 1, 2008.
At the One-Stop Center, homeless individuals can get help from a Housing Locator to find an affordable apartment, and then walk across the hall to the City of San Jose’s Housing Services Partnership to receive financial assistance for the rental deposit. At the end of the hall, employment workshops and help developing a resume are offered. For a homeless person needing assistance, it’s everything they need, all in one place.
Upon arrival, One-Stop Center staff provided Dolores with a referral to a landlord who was willing to rent to her despite her circumstances. The Housing Services Partnership provided Dolores with a financial assistance grant to pay for the rental deposit needed to secure a rental agreement. Dolores now lives in her own studio apartment in San Jose. After having been bounced around for the better part of year, the One-Stop Center was everything she needed, all in one place.