For nearly 20 years, hope has found a home at the Rebele Family Shelter (RFS). Since opening in 2005, RFS has provided stability and connection for more than 675 families with children experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County.

“I stayed at RFS for four months with my daughters,” said Jennifer, a former RFS participant. “I couldn’t have asked for more as far as having a good, clean environment. We had a one-bedroom apartment in RFS with a big living room and bathroom. It was hard having my daughters there, but I knew they were safe and that we were on the right path together.”

Operated by Housing Matters, RFS offers apartment-style units with private bathrooms and showers, ensuring dignity and comfort during a difficult chapter in a family’s life. At any given time, up to 100 people call the shelter home. 

RFS is one of the only low-barrier family shelters in the region. That means families can access shelter without needing to meet restrictive requirements — removing a key obstacle for many in urgent need of help. 

While staying at the shelter, families partner with case managers to create a pathway toward stable housing and long-term stability. Families receive three meals a day, access to welcoming common areas, and a community play area designed for children. The average length of stay at RFS is approximately six months, during which time families are supported in overcoming the barriers that stand between them and permanent housing.

“Our shelter helps families stay together and reunify,” said Lindsay Peterson, Director of Family Services for Housing Matters. “When parents lose custody, there’s a process: supervised visits, then unsupervised visits, then overnights. Without housing, reunification isn’t possible. The RFS shelter allows parents without custody to stay overnight, putting them on the path to being together again.”

RFS was made possible by a group of compassionate community members, led in part by Rowland and Pat Rebele, who envisioned a place of safety and opportunity for families with children. Since then, the big red building at the corner of Highways 1 and 9 in Santa Cruz has become a beacon of hope and transformation for the community.

“My parents would be very, very proud of the fact that it’s still standing, still being used,” said Chris Rebele, Rowland and Pat’s son. “We really need to focus on shelter, and that’s what Housing Matters is doing.” 

RFS was funded through state grants, the Kresge Foundation and local donors when it was constructed two decades ago. Among the donors were the Rebeles, for whom the shelter is named, as well as Jack and Peggy Baskin, Dick and Mary Solari, Ow Family Properties, Maynard Manson, and Miles and Roseanne Reiter.  

“For 20 years, RFS has been a lifeline for families with children in Santa Cruz County. Stable, safe housing is the foundation for everything else — health, education and opportunity,” said Phil Kramer, CEO of Housing Matters. “At Housing Matters, we are committed to creating pathways out of homelessness through interim shelter and supportive housing, ensuring families not only find immediate safety but also have the tools and resources to build lasting stability.”

Today, that path to stability is at risk. RFS is facing a budget shortfall. Donate to support Rebele Family Shelter today and help families working to find stable and permanent housing. 

About Housing Matters

Housing Matters partners with individuals and families to create pathways out of their homelessness into permanent housing. Housing Matters offers housing support services and case management, as well as interim shelter and supportive housing. Our campus shares space with the County-operated healthcare clinic Homeless Persons Health Project and Dientes, a full-service nonprofit dental clinic, making these services easily accessible to Housing Matters’ guests and the community. Our case management and housing navigation services help end homelessness for hundreds of individuals and their families every year. Learn more at www.housingmatterssc.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.