Good Neighbors, By Design – Inside the Policy Making Truckee’s Navigation Center a True Community Effort

Tags: Community Impact, Housing

A Promise of mutual respect and care between neighbors

When the Navigation Center was preparing to open, one question was top of mind: will this change the neighborhood? It’s a fair question, and Justin Jones, the Center’s Director, doesn’t dodge it. “There’s a very valid understanding that our neighbors are equally as important as our guests,” he says. “We’re trying to impact our neighbors and their quality of life as little as possible.”

That understanding is written down. Every guest who comes through the Navigation Center’s doors reads and signs a Good Neighbor Policy as part of intake — a commitment to keep the surrounding neighborhood clean, quiet, and undisturbed, whether that means picking up after themselves on-site or simply being mindful at the bus stop down the street. It’s a two-way promise: guests commit to being good neighbors, and so does the Center, backing it up with 24/7 staffing, two trained staff on-site at all times, and training in de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and first aid. Justin even gives neighbors his cell phone number so they can reach him if they need to. The Center was happy to welcome a member of the neighboring homeowners’ association to sit on the Center’s community advisory committee, making sure every perspective has a seat at the table. 

The message is simple:

We care about this neighborhood, too, and we’re putting the structure and guardrails in to make sure we’re all taken care of.  

Tacos, Trust, and a Small-Town Surprise

Justin moved from Boston, MA, a city of 673,000 people, to Truckee, a town of approximately 17,000 full-time residents. The way that the community has rallied around the Navigation Center pilot caught him off guard. “In a small place, I thought people may stick to themselves,” he says. “But it’s actually the complete opposite. Everybody is willing to pitch in where there is a need.”

That’s not an exaggeration. Before the Center even opened its doors, the Fellowship of Compassion secured donations from community members and local funders, including TTCF and our donors. A community member donated a brand-new refrigerator within days of hearing one was needed. A local high school group put together hygiene kits for guests.  Tacos Jalisco donated roughly 60 tacos for the Center’s very first weekly house meeting. Golden Rotisserie brought a Fourth of July spread big enough to feed the whole house. “That’s a local business,” Justin says. “It doesn’t have to do that.” Community members even helped fund a “Good Neighbor” taco truck night with neighbors, community leaders, and staff and guests from the Center. 

TTCF is part of that same circle of support — Justin has known the team for years, and describes regular, easy check-ins on how things are going and what TTCF can do to support the team. It’s one more relationship in a community that keeps showing up. 

What Good Neighbors Make Possible

This level of mutual respect that values everyone at the table helps the Center achieve its mission and goals. Justin describes the Navigation Center’s approach to working with clients as understanding over punitive, and structure paired with compassion.

A lot of our clients are going to act in a way that most of us would think is outside of the norm. That doesn’t make it wrong — it just means it’s different, because that’s what their trauma and their history has led them to. -Justin Jones, Truckee Navigation Center Director

One guest came to the Center after refusing help for months, camping in the woods rather than engage with services. After arriving, that person found a job, earned a raise, saved enough to budget independently, and moved into their own housing — funded entirely by their own savings. Justin credits two things: the quiet accountability built into daily structure, like curfews with room for a conversation instead of a punishment, and the basic dignity of a shower, clean clothes, and a haircut, all small pieces that rebuild the confidence it takes to walk into a job interview. As he puts it simply: “We create an environment of love and compassion, so that individuals can realize we’re all people, no matter where you are in your journey.”

That’s the real return on the community’s investment — not just a shelter operating quietly nearby, but neighbors, clients, staff, and local businesses all showing up for the same goal. And when Truckee Day rolled around, the Navigation Center’s clients were there rolling up their sleeves and giving back to the community they call home.

The Navigation Center is only in its pilot year. If you are passionate about this work, please reach out to Ashley Beck, Director of Engagement, to learn how you can help ensure the Navigation Center’s future.