City Breaks Ground on 62 Affordable Units Where Emergency Shelter Once Stood

Shovels hit dirt Wednesday morning on Warren Avenue in central Fresno, marking the start of construction on 62 apartments meant to help people climb out of homelessness — or keep from falling into it.

City and county officials joined Fresno Housing at the groundbreaking for Davu Village, a project replacing the former Golden State Triage Center emergency shelter with studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, plus a manager’s unit.

This marks the third motel along the Parkway Drive corridor officials have converted into housing.

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Officials at the ceremony pointed to teamwork as what makes projects like this possible.

The Breakdown

• The project will deliver 62 apartments on the site of the former Golden State Triage Center emergency shelter on Warren Avenue.
• Units will range from studios to two-bedroom apartments, plus one manager’s unit.
• The development is designed to support people transitioning out of homelessness or at risk of losing housing.
• This is the third motel conversion along the Parkway Drive corridor.

What This Means for You

Davu Village replaces a temporary emergency shelter with permanent apartments designed to support people transitioning out of homelessness or at risk of being unhoused. The project represents a shift from short-term emergency beds to longer-term housing on the same site.

What to Watch

The sources don’t provide the project’s total cost, what portion comes from public funds, or what those dollars could buy elsewhere — information that would help residents assess whether this represents the most effective use of housing resources.

The sources also don’t detail what supportive services will be available on-site, how long residents can stay, or how the 62 units fit into the city’s broader homelessness strategy. Those details will determine whether the project successfully helps residents stabilize or simply concentrates need in one location without adequate support.