Shelter for survivors of violence and trafficking opens at old Lake Merritt Lodge

"The old Lake Merritt Lodge on Harrison Street was recently bought by the nonprofit Restorative Pathways, which is planning to use the historic yellow building as a homeless shelter. The 120-person shelter will primarily serve survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, with floors for parents with children, single adults, and youth ages 18 to 24. Unlike some of the organization's other shelters, which are safe houses with nondisclosed locations, this facility will be "step two or three" for clients who are "stabilized but still""

"The Lake Merritt Lodge has had a varied and at times tumultuous history. Built as a YWCA boarding house for young women 100 years ago, it later became a residential hotel until it underwent foreclosure in 2013. A couple of years later, the renovated lodge reopened as a dormitory for a business school until the city leased the property in 2021 for use as a shelter."

Restorative Pathways purchased the historic Lake Merritt Lodge to create Solara House, a 120-person shelter serving survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. The facility will have separate floors for parents with children, single adults, and youth ages 18 to 24 and will function as a step-two or step-three program for stabilized clients who need ongoing support. Solara House will include a trauma recovery center staffed by psychiatrists, nurses, and therapists, plus addiction treatment, housing and employment assistance, and meals. The lodge previously operated as a YWCA boarding house, residential hotel, dormitory, and a city-leased shelter that closed in late 2024 amid management conflicts.

Read at The Oaklandside