Fresno kicks off Phase 2 of Project Off-Ramp to house the homeless

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and other city officials launched the second phase of Project Off-Ramp on Tuesday.

A news conference was held at Fresno City Hall to discuss the continued efforts to house Fresno’s most vulnerable.

Mayor Dyer highlighted the completion of The Villa, a 52-unit facility for singles and couples.

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The Villa was formerly The Villa Motel, located at 817 N. Parkway Dr., near Belmont Ave. and Hwy. 99.

Also opening on Parkway Dr. is The Parkway, scheduled to be completed on May 31st.

The Parkway will consist of 65 units for singles and couples and is located at 959 N. Parkway Dr., just north of The Villa.

Mayor Dyer also said two more motels are scheduled to become part of Project Off-Ramp; one in District 4 and the other in District 6.

The mayor said he was going to name the motels yet because the city is in negotiations but that they would be fully operational in May.

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The facility in District 4 will serve as Bridge Housing, which means it will take people temporarily from emergency shelters who are waiting for permanent housing.

Project Off-Ramp, which began in January 2021, initially facilitated the transition of 650 unsheltered people off Fresno’s freeway embankments and canal banks and continued to house hundreds more. In total, 80% of those who were assisted accepted shelter in motels purchased by the City.

The program creates opportunity and provides care and dignity for the unsheltered – and has become a model for the state of California in resolving unsheltered homelessness.

“We have made tremendous strides through Project Off-Ramp by housing over 1,700 homeless in just two years,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer.

I am 100% confident we are on the right path toward eliminating chronic homelessness in our city.