Lumina Alliance, community partners celebrate milestone moment for safe housing on the Central Coast
PASO ROBLES — A bright day in Paso Robles, Wednesday, June 25, set the scene for a milestone celebration as Lumina Alliance (Lumina), in partnership with community leaders and supporters, marked the official opening of its new transitional housing site for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.
The property, donated in 2020 by longtime community advocates Tom and Noreen Martin, has already served as a shelter for 24 years — offering refuge to nearly 800 individuals. Now, thanks to a transformational investment from MUST! Charities, the space has been thoughtfully remodeled to support even more survivors and their families on their path toward stability and healing.
Transitional Housing Manager Leydi Rios oversees Lumina’s three properties located in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Grover Beach. She started at the nonprofit three years ago as their transitional housing advocate.
“It’s been a very eye-opening experience working with Lumina Alliance, especially since I’ve been able to practice more case management with clients. Obviously, we do deal with very difficult or very, traumatic stories that we hear from our clients,” Rios shared. “But, overall, I think it’s such a fulfilling job since I get to see my clients get permanently housed since we’ve had a lot of success stories especially for all of the three properties that we have.”
Rios and Lumina are grateful for the partnership they have developed with MUST! Charities.
“It has been such a huge honor to work with them [MUST! Charities] and for them to also believe in our work that we do and our mission,” said Rios.
Since its beginning in the 1970s, Lumina has grown significantly through a series of strategic mergers and program expansions. It began with the establishment of the San Luis Obispo County Rape Crisis Center in 1975 (later renamed the Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention Center in 2000) and the development of domestic violence shelters — first a“Safe House” in Morro Bay in 1977, followed by formal shelters in San Luis Obispo (1996) and North County (Atascadero in 1994 and Paso Robles in 2000). In 2013, the Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention Center merged with the North County Women’s Shelter & Resource Center to form RISE, and in 2017, the Women’s Shelter Program rebranded as Stand Strong. Finally, on July 1, 2021, RISE and Stand Strong united to create Lumina Alliance, combining their missions under a name that symbolically reflects their purpose: “Lumina,” meaning light, and“Alliance,” representing partnership and collective progress.
Currently, according to Lumina, 61 percent of female renters in San Luis Obispo County are considered rent-burdened, and 25 percent of single mothers live in poverty. For survivors of violence, these conditions make it even more difficultto leave unsafe situations. Lumina’s transitional housing program aims to change that narrative.
“Our program caters to survivors of intimate partner violence or sexual assault sexual abuse, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the parent or guardian to be the survivor. If it’s a child of theirs or a member of the family, they would qualify for our program,” Rios explains.
The Paso Robles site joins other Lumina-operated housing units in San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach, bringing the total number of supportive residences to 16 across the county. In the past five months alone, four families in Lumina’sprogram have successfully transitioned from temporary shelter to permanent homes — made possible through a continued partnership with the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO).
Local figures were in attendance to mark the occasion, including Paso Robles City Councilmembers Kris Beal and Fred Strong; Jen Ford, the senior field representative for Assemblymember Dawn Addis; and Grover Beach City Councilmember Clint Weirick, representing Senator John Laird’s office.
In addition to honoring the generosity of the Martin family and MUST! Charities, speakers highlighted the urgency of sustaining such services. Lumina says that nearly half of its annual budget is currently at risk due to potential cuts at the state and federal levels. The nonprofit has launched its “Light the Way” campaign to ensure critical programs — such as shelter, crisis response, and therapy — remain accessible to all survivors.
To learn more about Lumina Alliance, visit luminaalliance.org
Feature Image: Members of Lumina Alliance, as well as many city, county, and state representatives, attending the ribbon-cutting for the organization’s new transitional housing site on Wednesday, June 25. Photo courtesy of Lumina Alliance
