This program provides temporary housing solutions where residents receive screening, are provided healthy meals, guidance obtaining benefits and health care applications, as well as counseling, alcohol and drug recovery programs, and vocational assistance to gain obtain whatever necessary skills they need to live independently.
= Lake Merritt Lodge is a housing and care facility for unsheltered individuals in Oakland, California. This approximately 44,500 square foot, six-story building is attributed to the American Architect Julia Morgan, the first female architect in California, best known for her design of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. The building, called "a masterpiece of architecture and construction," was inspired by the Spanish Colonial and California Mission styles and is noted for its earthquake-resistant and waterproof stucco.
Almost a century later, the building's high ceilings, ample sunlight, 92 studio units and large common areas continue to inspire residents and visitors"
In 2021 the property owners and the city of Oakland agreed to lease the property to the city of Oakland to provide housing for the unsheltered.
MK Shadman, a partner and The Managing member of the ownership, maintained the property management of the property, and thus, the relationship became a pilot program and the first of its kind in Oakland.
In late 2021 MK Shadman registered KAMCO Housing DBA Howzing.org as a nonprofit 501c3 corporation in the State of California to continue serving those in need. Lake Merritt is Howzing's flagship project.
The building was named Lake Merritt Lodge and currently serves as a shining example of a well-managed transitional residency for the unsheltered people of Oakland.
As a full-service facility, Lake Merritt Lodge has daily cleaning, staffing to address residence needs, maintenance staff, tea, coffee, hot soup, and three dietary-sensitive hot meals daily, and a safe, home-like environment for some of our community's most vulnerable members.
