When someone is facing housing instability, the path to a solution isn’t always straightforward. In this case, a client came to TCCC with $5,000 in past-due rent and few options, but instead of simply closing the door when she did not qualify for standard rental assistance, Case Manager Teresa Hopson looked for another way to help.
A client reached out to TCCC facing severe housing instability, burdened by $5,000 in past-due rent. During the initial assessment, the Case Manager thoroughly reviewed the case details and determined that the client did not meet the criteria for standard rental assistance at that time. Facing potential displacement and lacking the financial means to pivot, the client shared that she had been hoping to relocate to Texas to be near her support system of friends and family but felt stuck due to her financial constraints.
Rather than closing the case, the Case Manager actively looked for alternative pathways to help the client achieve long-term stability. Recognizing the client’s openness to relocation, the CM identified that she was eligible for security deposit assistance through her insurance program.
The client quickly gathered and provided her new lease and all necessary verification documents. The CM then took swift action, contacting the new landlord in Texas to secure the required lease agreements and W-9 forms. With all pieces in place, the CM expedited the request through the insurance framework. The application was successfully approved, and the security deposit check was promptly mailed out to the landlord.
Thanks to this coordinated effort, the client expressed immense gratitude for the lifeline. She has successfully secured safe housing and is now able to transition to Texas, giving her the opportunity to rebuild her life surrounded by a strong circle of family and friends.
This story is a reminder that helping someone overcome homelessness or housing instability sometimes means looking beyond the first available solution. By listening to the client’s goals, identifying an alternative source of assistance, and coordinating the details with her new landlord and insurance program, Teresa helped her secure housing in Texas and reconnect with the support system she wanted to be near. For the client, that assistance provided not just a security deposit, but it provided a path forward.
For families facing a housing crisis, getting help before an eviction happens can make all the difference. TCCC case manager Lissete Frausto recently helped one Tracy mother avoid losing her home after an unexpected change in her family left her struggling to keep up with rent while caring for her nine children. To protect the mother’s identity, we will simply refer to her as “T”.
When T, a devoted single mother of nine children, found herself facing an unexpected separation from her children’s father, she was suddenly left with the responsibility of supporting her family on her own. As she worked to rebuild her life, she began searching for employment while doing everything she could to provide stability for her children.
During this difficult transition, T fell behind on her rent and faced the very real possibility of eviction. Determined to keep a roof over her children’s heads, she reached out to our agency for help.
Through a rental assistance program available to Cash Aid recipients, including rental assistance through HousingWORKs, our office was able to provide the financial support Tianna needed to bring her past-due rent current. This assistance allowed her family to remain safely in their home and prevented the trauma and uncertainty of eviction.
With the immediate housing crisis resolved, T was able to focus on securing employment and continuing to provide for her children without the added burden of losing their home.
T’s story is a powerful reminder of how timely assistance can make a lasting difference. By helping families remain stably housed during times of crisis, we provide more than financial support—we offer hope, stability, and the opportunity for parents and children to move forward with confidence.
T’s story shows why timely rental assistance and compassionate case management are so important. By helping her bring her rent current and remain safely housed, TCCC was able to give this family the stability they needed to focus on what came next: finding employment, caring for her children, and rebuilding their future. Through HousingWORKs and other available resources, TCCC works to connect families with assistance that can prevent a temporary financial crisis from becoming homelessness.
Every two years, communities across California participate in the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count & Report, a federally required effort to better understand homelessness in our region. The results help guide funding decisions, identify community needs, and measure whether local programs are making a difference.
The newly released 2026 San Joaquin County Homelessness Point-in-Time Count (view the full PDF at the bottom of this post) offers both encouraging news and important reminders about the challenges that still exist. At Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC), we see these realities every day through our outreach, case management, housing navigation, and homelessness prevention programs.
There Is Good News
One of the most encouraging findings is that overall homelessness in San Joaquin County decreased compared to the 2024 count. While there is still significant work ahead, this suggests that the combined efforts of nonprofits, local governments, housing providers, volunteers, and community partners are making an impact.
The report also found a decrease in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans often face unique challenges after military service, and continued collaboration between veteran service organizations, housing providers, and local nonprofits appears to be helping more veterans access stable housing and support.
These improvements remind us that homelessness is not an impossible problem. With the right resources, partnerships, and long-term commitment, positive change is possible.
Just one part of the comprehensive report. We recommend reading through the full report PDF below.
Most People Experiencing Homelessness Are Already Part of Our Community
One statistic that stands out in this year’s report challenges a common misconception. Many people assume that individuals experiencing homelessness moved here from somewhere else. In reality, the report shows that the overwhelming majority of people experiencing homelessness were already living in San Joaquin County before they lost their housing.
These are our neighbors. They’re people who grew up here, worked here, raised families here, attended our schools, or lived in our communities for years before experiencing a financial crisis, job loss, illness, or another life-changing event. Understanding this helps shift the conversation from “outsiders coming in” to recognizing that homelessness often affects people who were already part of our local community.
The Biggest Barriers Are Economic
Another important takeaway from the report is what people identified as the primary obstacles to finding permanent housing. The leading barriers were overwhelmingly economic, including:
High housing costs
Low wages
Lack of affordable housing
Insufficient income to cover rent and living expenses
This is significant because it challenges another common stereotype that homelessness is primarily caused by drug use or mental illness. While behavioral health and substance use can absolutely affect some individuals and deserve compassionate treatment, the Point-in-Time Count shows that the most commonly reported barriers to housing are financial. For many people, the math simply doesn’t work. Rent continues to rise while wages struggle to keep pace.
Why Prevention Matters
These findings reinforce something we’ve talked about before on our blog: preventing homelessness is often more effective than responding after someone has already lost their housing.
When someone receives help before an eviction, connects with housing resources early, or works with a case manager during a financial crisis, they may never have to experience homelessness in the first place. At TCCC, we work every day to provide case management, housing navigation, eviction prevention assistance, resource referrals, street outreach, and connections to healthcare and community services. Every successful intervention represents someone who has a better chance of remaining safely housed, or returning to stable housing more quickly.
The 2026 Point-in-Time Count offers reasons for optimism while also reminding us that affordable housing and economic stability remain major challenges throughout San Joaquin County. Progress is happening, but it takes continued collaboration between nonprofits, local governments, businesses, volunteers, donors, and community members to keep moving in the right direction. Every person who finds stable housing, every veteran who receives support, and every family that avoids homelessness represents meaningful progress for our community. At Tracy Community Connections Center, we’re grateful to be part of that work every day, and we’re committed to continuing to serve our neighbors with compassion, dignity, and hope.
Every year, National Nonprofit Day is an opportunity to recognize the organizations, volunteers, donors, and community partners who work every day to make a difference. At Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC), it’s also a chance to reflect on what can happen when a community comes together to support its neighbors. Nonprofits exist because some of our communities’ greatest challenges can’t be solved by one person or one organization alone. Whether it’s preventing homelessness, helping someone recover after a hospital stay, providing access to showers and laundry, or connecting families with housing resources, lasting change happens through collaboration.
People often think of nonprofits simply as charities that provide services. While that’s certainly part of what we do, nonprofits also build relationships, strengthen communities, and create opportunities that have lasting impacts. At TCCC, our work extends far beyond meeting immediate needs. We help individuals obtain identification, apply for benefits, connect with healthcare and behavioral health services, prevent evictions, find housing, and rebuild stability after difficult circumstances. Every success story represents countless hours of case management, outreach, coordination, and follow-up.
Many of the people we serve are working, caring for family members, recovering from illness, or facing unexpected hardships. Our role is to help them navigate those challenges and move toward long-term stability.
Behind Every Service Is a Team
Earlier this year, we wrote about the nonprofit overhead myth and the misconception that a nonprofit’s value can be measured simply by how little it spends on administration. The reality is that every shower provided, every outreach visit completed, every housing placement, and every successful case depends on dedicated staff, trained volunteers, reliable vehicles, technology, office space, insurance, and countless behind-the-scenes operations. These aren’t distractions from the mission but what make the mission possible.
When you support a nonprofit, you’re supporting the people and infrastructure that allow life-changing work to happen every single day.
The Community Makes Our Work Possible
Our organization has never worked alone. This year alone we’ve been blessed by partnerships with businesses donating food, hotels providing towels for our Mobile Shower Program, organizations supporting community food distributions, volunteers giving their time, churches opening their doors, and countless donors who quietly make our work possible. Every donation, volunteer hour, referral, and encouraging conversation helps someone take another step toward stability.
Imagine a Day Without Nonprofits
In another recent post, we explored what our community would look like without nonprofit organizations. It’s a powerful reminder that nonprofits fill essential gaps that many people rely on every day. Without organizations working together, many individuals would struggle to access basic necessities, emergency assistance, housing navigation, food, healthcare referrals, transportation, and other critical services. National Nonprofit Day reminds us that these services don’t exist automatically, but because people choose to invest in their communities.
Today, we’d like to thank everyone who has been part of TCCC’s journey.
To our staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes.
To our volunteers who generously give their time.
To our board members who provide leadership and guidance.
To our community partners who collaborate with us every day.
And to every donor whose generosity allows us to continue serving our neighbors.
Happy National Nonprofit Day, and thank you for helping make our mission possible.
Summer temperatures in the Central Valley can quickly become dangerous, especially for older adults, young children, individuals with medical conditions, and people experiencing homelessness. As the weather heats up, Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC) encourages everyone to be aware of local cooling resources and to take steps to protect themselves and their neighbors from heat-related illness.
The City of Tracy has identified several Cooling Locations throughout the community where residents can find relief from extreme temperatures. These facilities provide safe, air-conditioned spaces during designated hours and can be an important resource for anyone who does not have reliable access to cooling at home.
For individuals experiencing homelessness, extreme heat can pose serious health risks. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke can develop quickly when temperatures remain high throughout the day. That’s why it’s important to seek shade, drink plenty of water, and take advantage of available cooling centers whenever possible.
The City of Tracy’s Temporary Emergency Housing Facility also offers daytime cooling access. Individuals interested in using this resource should call before 8:00 a.m. at (209) 208-5701 for information and availability.
At TCCC, our outreach team regularly works with community members who are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. We encourage everyone to check on elderly neighbors, family members, and anyone who may be spending time outdoors during periods of excessive heat. Sharing information about cooling locations could help prevent a medical emergency.
If you see someone who appears to be struggling in the heat, help connect them with available resources and cooling options. Small acts of kindness and awareness can make a significant difference during the hottest months of the year.
Please review the City of Tracy Cooling Locations schedule and share it with anyone who may benefit. Together, we can help keep our community safe, healthy, and connected this summer.
Summer 2026 – Tracy Cooling Locations
Locations
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
TRACY BRANCH LIBRARY
20 E. Eaton Avenue
(866) 805-7323
10 AM – 8 PM
10 AM – 7 PM
1 PM – 6 PM
10 AM – 8 PM
10 AM – 5 PM
12 PM – 5 PM
LOLLY HANSEN SENIOR CENTER
375 E. 9th Street
(209) 831-6240
8 AM – 4 PM
8 AM – 4 PM
8 AM – 4 PM
8 AM – 4 PM
8 AM – 4 PM
LARCH CLOVER COMMUNITY CENTER
11157 W. Larch Road
(209) 831-5920
8 AM – 5 PM
8 AM – 5 PM
8 AM – 5 PM
8 AM – 5 PM
8 AM – 5 PM
WEST VALLEY MALL
3200 N. Naglee Road
(209) 836-4091
11 AM – 7 PM
11 AM – 8 PM
11 AM – 8 PM
11 AM – 8 PM
11 AM – 8 PM
11 AM – 8 PM
11 AM – 8 PM
TRANSIT STATION
50 E. 6th Street
(209) 831-BUS
8 AM – 7 PM
8 AM – 7 PM
8 AM – 7 PM
8 AM – 7 PM
8 AM – 7 PM
10 AM – 6 PM
Temporary Emergency Housing Facility
370 W. Arbor Ave, Tracy, CA 95304
Call Before 8 AM for Daytime Cooling Location Access: (209) 208-5701 (No Walk-Ins, Hours: 8 AM – 7 PM, 7 days a week)
Homeless Outreach & Unsheltered Services Available
Monday-Saturday 7 AM – 5 PM: (209) 831-6640 (voicemail only)
or [email protected]
Tracy PD Non-Emergency: (209) 831-6550
To find the warming location nearest you, visit SJReady.org or call 211.
