Costa Mesa staff and IKEA designers, Allen wrenches in hand, outfit new homeless shelter

A new permanent bridge shelter on Costa Mesa’s Airway Avenue was taking shape Tuesday — one Allen wrench turn at a time — as IKEA designers and volunteers worked side by side assembling donated furniture in advance of a mid-April opening.

The 12,285-square-foot facility for people who are homeless has been in the works since 2019 when city officials opened an interim temporary shelter at Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene on the city’s westside.

The move was part of a settlement agreement that stipulated Costa Mesa — one of several Orange County cities named in a 2018 complaint — could not enforce anti-camping ordinances without offering a means for homeless individuals to transition to permanent and stable housing.

Later that year, the city purchased an industrial warehouse that would be partially retrofitted to accommodate a 72-bed shelter with separate quarters for men and women, a common area with a full-service kitchen and office and intake space.

Buildout of the $11.5-million project could wrap up as soon as this month, allowing staff to move in by early April with clients to follow soon after. Assistant City Manager Susan Price said residents at Lighthouse and at-risk individuals who’ve been riding out the coronavirus pandemic in motel rooms will be transitioned before the intake of new clients begins.

The men’s sleeping quarters at Costa Mesa’s new 72-bed permanent bridge shelter on Airway Avenue will contain four beds per partition.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

“It will be nice to bring everybody back to one place,” Price said Tuesday during a brief tour. “Every day I come here it gets better. It’s starting to land — it’s real; it’s happening.”

In a hitherto rare collaboration with Swedish retailer IKEA, which operates a store in Costa Mesa, city officials are outfitting the new shelter with furnishings and equipment provided through an $85,000 donation from the company.

“We engaged them to see if they’d want to contribute to our program and assist those in need of help,” Price said of the partnership. “Their response was, ‘absolutely,’ without hesitation.”

For the past week and a half, a small crew of city staff have been working alongside IKEA designers and volunteers from Trellis, a nonprofit collaboration of church leaders and community members, to assemble shelving units, tables and pieces of office furniture.

IKEA employees, from left, Vanessa Pasillas, Maggie Holton, Sandra Perez, Briana Lehman and Elizabeth Banuelos at Costa Mesa’s new 72-bed permanent bridge shelter, on Tuesday.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

On Tuesday, they puzzled over IKEA instruction booklets printed with minimalist illustrations and large, inscrutable names — Hällan, Bekant, Bror and Kuggö — in bold block letters on the front.

IKEA interior designer Sandra Perez said she considered form and function while picking pieces and product lines for the staff offices and living areas.

“Function was first, but we wanted something with appeal, so I went through our whole range and picked the products that would meet the needs and fit the space,” she said. “Since it’s a sleep-in culture, we wanted it to feel inspiring but also homey and cozy.”

In addition to basic furnishings, the retailer donated office clocks, desk lamps and picture frames. Art pieces from the city and the Orange County Fair & Event Center will lend a local vibe.

“For us, it’s really an honor to be able to partner with the city and provide a better life for many people in need,” said IKEA Market Manager Briana Lehman. “We really strive to be a partner in the community.”

IKEA’s Stephany Sandoval holds a drill as Shana Memary, right, marks a level line for hanging a clock at Costa Mesa’s new bridge shelter Tuesday.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Price said the design of the shelter, like the furniture and the equipment, aims to consider the dignity and privacy of the clients who, on average, will stay at the bridge shelter for six months. Lockers and storage areas will safeguard people’s belongings, while a dog run and outdoor patio will accommodate pet owners.

Throughout the morning, city employees popped in to check on the site’s progress. Public Services Director Raja Sethuraman, whose department has played a major role in the construction and planning of the facility, described the shelter as a highlight of his 21-year career with the city.

“We took an empty shell and made it into something that is going to transform lives,” he said. “It is definitely one of the most satisfying projects I’ve done.”
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