"The city had approached DJ Hospitality, LLC, the owner of the now-closed Comfort Inn on Mahogany Way, to secure up to 250 emergency room vouchers for no more than $20,000 for those seeking comfort from freezing temperatures. The vouchers were to be used on an as-needed basis over the next six months. Any unused vouchers would have been refunded to the city at $80 per voucher, a staff report noted."
"Antioch City Manager Bessie Scott announced during a City Council meeting on Tuesday that the owner withdrew the offer on Monday due to circumstances outside the city's control. As a result, city staff have begun discussions with another hotel to explore a similar emergency model, Scott said. We're also continuing to pursue other options, including faith-based partnerships and coordination with our county partners, and will provide updates as those discussions continue, she said."
"Mayor Pro Tem Donald Freitas called the decision gut-wrenching and unfortunate. We had resources dedicated. We thought we had a very good proposal. We were excited about it, and this is just a very, very difficult situation, said Freitas. So, I think the time is to be more proactive versus reactive, because summer is coming, and 110-115 heat can also be, you know, damaging to humans."
A planned partnership with DJ Hospitality, LLC to secure up to 250 emergency room vouchers for no more than $20,000 was withdrawn when the hotel owner rescinded the offer. The vouchers were to be used as needed over six months, with unused vouchers refundable at $80 each. City Manager Bessie Scott said staff have begun discussions with another hotel to explore a similar emergency model and are pursuing faith-based partnerships and county coordination. Outreach to two local churches could not proceed because of unrelated operational constraints. Antioch's unsheltered population fell from 413 in 2024 to 236 in 2025.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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