Del Norte County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) had a public grand opening to their five-year long permanent supportive housing project, the Legacy, on June 10. The grand opening began with a discussion first started by DHHS Director Ranell Brown, about the history of the Legacy, detailing the effort it took to transform the once known Coastal Inn & Suites motel into permanent supportive housing for Del Norte’s at-risk and homeless individuals. Beginning as interim housing, the property was used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The county purchased the former motel using a state-funded $2.8 million grant from the Project Homekey program and turned it into transitional housing, with the hopes of making it permanent supportive housing. Project Homekey allowed local agencies to purchase hotels, motels, and vacant apartment buildings to turn them into permanent supportive housing for at least 5 percent of a county’s at-risk and homeless population. During the pandemic, the program housed as many as 27 percent of Del Norte’s homeless within the 30-unit property. Most DHHS staff members working on the project described the Legacy’s opening as a win for the community, emphasizing the many amenities and services it will offer to its tenants. Some of these services include support groups, behavior and mental health classes, life skill classes and case workers to help with paperwork. The Legacy’s tenants can also use the community kitchen, conference rooms and offices to discuss issues with the facility’s employees. After all the history of how the project came to be and a peek into what it offers, staff lead the public out to its front gate to officially declare its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The moment immediately after the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. | Photos by Bryce Evans. Once the ribbon-cutting ceremony concluded, staff showed off the Legacy and its spaces. In addition to highlighting the shared areas, the public viewed one of the units. The facility houses 22 studio apartments and eight one-bedroom apartments. An inside look at one of the rooms in the Legacy. The Legacy provides a space to speak with onsite workers. The Legacy's conference room for group meetings. Exterior of the Legacy.