Nellie Hannon Gateway complex on San Pablo Avenue offers a home and free meals for many who have gone without.

It had been years since Khalil Hamed had his own space. He bounced from the streets to a shelter in Berkeley before finally landing at a new supportive housing complex in Emeryville. 

“This is my first time having my own place,” Hamed said. “I am grateful.” 

Hamed is one of the nearly 140 residents at the Nellie Hannon Gateway complex, located on the busy stretch of San Pablo Avenue at 36th Street. Named after the founder of the Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program, the complex opened on March 25 and houses ECAP on the ground floor, offering fresh fruits, vegetables and packed meals such as sandwiches to anyone in need. Operating six days a week Monday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m, the food hub serves between 270 and 300 people daily. 

That relief is visible daily. On the ground level, a single line starts forming outside the building as early as 9 a.m., with individuals carrying bags and carts for groceries, seniors bringing small chairs to sit on as they wait and others arriving to pick up packed meals before the doors open at noon. At the back, volunteers unload food delivery vans and sort the food into different categories for that day; once the front door opens, they hand out food items to five people at a time.

“We have so many people that are in need of housing in our community,” said ECAP volunteer Marilyn Davis, as she loaded boxes of food into her car to deliver directly to unhoused community members. 

John Smith moved in with his two young children in mid-November, just ahead of the Thanksgiving holidays, saying he found the application process straightforward compared to other places. He feels grateful for the new-found security for his family and enjoys the daily free food.

“This building gives us a good foundation,” Smith said.  “This whole building is about giving back to the community.”

“There’s been some hiccups. The elevator is frequently broken down and there can be cleanliness issues in the common areas,” Smith said. But, he’s found the property managers, John Stewart Company, friendly and helpful. 

The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Years of planning

The seven-story building has a total of 90 affordable housing units, and 45 of them are set aside as special housing specifically meant for formerly unhoused residents. Another 39 are set aside for residents with mental health challenges, through funding from California’s “No Place Like Home” program, a state initiative that funds permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing or are at risk of homelessness. 

The complex is an island of relief for Alameda County, with thousands of unhoused residents, hundreds of them families with children. The county’s 2026 Point-in-Time counts show that while the overall unhoused population dropped by 13% from 9,450 to 8,201, many people still lack permanent shelter. 

“This building is the effort of so many years to build affordable housing for Emeryville residents,” said Vice Mayor Matthew Solomon during the ribbon cutting in September. 

The project, which took six years from planning to completion, reflects the city’s effort to meet the state Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals, by prioritizing affordable housing through local and state funding. A 2023 staff report shows the city partnered with developers Resource for Community Development to purchase and redevelop the 0.39-acre site after the owner filed for bankruptcy in 2019. 

The report estimated a total development cost of $92.6 million. Major funding sources included $44.1 million from the California Housing Accelerator Program, $19.5 million from the No Place Like Home program, $10.4 million from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program and a $575,000 from a California Department of Toxic Substances Control grant. 

“Ever since we moved in, our staff has built close relationships with the residents,” said Sharon Lipping, ECAP’s operations manager. “They always stop by to say hello even if they are not picking up food. And when they are here for food, we help them select what they need. Sometimes residents even step up as volunteers to help hand out food to other community members.”

Patricia Levy-Philips, who is living out of her car and applying for affordable housing, visited ECAP recently to pick up food. 

“It breaks my heart that people don’t have something similar in many areas, “ Levy-Philip said. “It means a lot to see this becoming available.”

(Top Photo: Community members and officials attend a ribbon-cutting at Nellie Hannon Gateway, including Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur (center, wearing white), ECAP founder Nellie Hannon (cutting the ribbon) and ECAP Director Bobby Miller (fourth from left), by Sharon Ochola)

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