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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 26, 2025
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — This month, Teresa Massie proudly held her dog, Cyndi Marie Lauper while she rang the bell at the Victorville Wellness Center signifying her graduation from homelessness to permanent housing. Teresa’s celebration was especially significant because she is the 200th graduate of the Wellness Center, a non-congregate, navigation center developed and overseen by the City of Victorville to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness gain stability through interim housing, wraparound support services, healthcare, and recuperative care offered on-site.
Teresa who had struggles with homelessness for many years, entered the Wellness Center approximately ten months ago when she learned that Cyndi could live with her in a private room rather than be kenneled separately as is the norm at most homeless shelters, if pets are allowed at all.
While at the Center, Teresa received medical treatment for a behavioral health disorder that contributed to her homelessness. She was paired with a case manager from Symba, the City’s operator of the Victorville Wellness Center, who arranged for her personal care, support services, and training to help her gain stability and plan her transition to permanent housing.
Support services offered at the Victorville Wellness Center include mental health counseling, substance-use-disorder treatment, job readiness training, financial literacy workshops, legal aid, and housing navigation support. The most unique aspect of the Wellness Center is that healthcare and recuperative care are offered on-site in the Symba-operated medical clinic.
Teresa attributes the supportive services she received while at the Wellness Center for her turnaround. In fact, she established a dog walking group to help other residents of the Center socialize and gain support.
Now, Teresa is thriving and looking forward to living with Cyndi in their very own apartment.
“Teresa’s journey to permanent housing is inspiring, and we are excited to celebrate her as the 200th graduate of the Victorville Wellness Center,” said Victorville Mayor Liz Becerra. “We are emboldened to see our strategy for reduced homelessness in Victorville is having such a positive impact in just two years of Wellness Center operations.”
Since the City of Victorville opened its Wellness Center in December 2023, the homeless count in Victorville has dropped to the lowest point it’s been in five years. In just one year, the number of unsheltered individuals in Victorville dropped by 57 percent and overall homelessness dropped 27 percent as documented in the 2025 Point in Time Count published by the County of San Bernardino.
"Reaching 200 graduates is a powerful reminder that recovery and stability are truly possible when a community comes together with compassion and commitment," said Dr. Shawn Smith, Symba CEO. "Each Wellness Center graduate is equipped with new tools, renewed hope, and a path forward that represents lives changed, families strengthened, and a community made healthier. We are deeply grateful to the City for standing with us in this shared mission."
The City of Victorville constructed its Wellness Center on City-owned land with most of the funding coming from a $28 million Homekey grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Additionally, the City used revenue from Measure P, the one-cent sales tax approved by Victorville voters in 2020, to fund a Homeless Engagement Team that canvases the Victorville community, engages with the City's unhoused, and connects them with helpful resources like the Wellness Center. The team is supported by the city’s Animal Care and Control Officers who coordinate the entry of animals to the Center.
Additional information about the City of Victorville’s homelessness solutions strategy and its Wellness Center is available online at VictorvilleCA.gov/HomelessnessSolutions.
Located in Southern California at the high-point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Victorville is the leading city for both industry and retail in the High Desert Region. Victorville is a growing, vibrant community that is home to approximately 136,000 residents and some of the area’s largest employers, including the City-operated Southern California Logistics Airport. Clean air, abundant mountain vistas, family-friendly recreation activities, spectacular sunsets, and breathtaking night skies entice locals and visitors alike to fall in love with this city that is within a few hours of SoCal beaches, National Parks, mountain retreats, and other major attractions. Ontario International Airport is less than an hour away. Learn more about the City of Victorville at VictorvilleCA.gov.
Symba is a non-profit organization rooted in faith and dedicated to health, healing, and housing. Symba bridges the gap in care for those who are uninsured, low-income and unhoused with a holistic approach that integrates medical, behavioral health, housing, and life skills support walking alongside individuals and families as they work toward long-term stability and wellness. Symba believes in building a healthier future – one person, one step, one story at a time. Learn more about Symba at symbacenter.org.
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