Redding Terminates Housing Contract with No Boundaries, Files Police Report Alleging Concerns for Financial Mismanagement
The City’s contract with the housing nonprofit No Boundaries has been terminated, effective today, November 7. The City has also filed a report with the Redding Police Department, citing concerns about financial documentation.
11.18.24 11:55 am:We have updated this story to clarify how much funding the Redding City Council has voted to provide to No Boundaries over the last two years, which totals more than $2 million.
City staff are moving quickly to facilitate new temporary housing for an unknown number of clients who were previously being served through the City’s contract with the nonprofit No Boundaries Transitional Housing, Inc.
In response to a request for comment yesterday, November 6, City Manager Barry Tippin confirmed that Redding has terminated its contract with No Boundaries and submitted a report to the Police Department, which is now actively investigating. Concerns, Tippin said, include the “factual accuracy of reimbursement” requests submitted by the nonprofit’s Director Christine Cage.
“And given that it’s governmental money,” Tippin said, “we take that kind of thing very seriously.”
Cage responded briefly to an emailed request for comment yesterday, November 6, saying that she would like to speak to Shasta Scout but would have to check with her attorney first. By phone today, Cage said she was still pending a response from her attorney.
Over the last two years, the City has committed to multiple sequential contracts with No Boundaries, contracting for more than $2 million in state funds for housing services with the organization, according to numbers provided by Redding’s Community Development Manager, Nicole Smith.
When asked how many unhoused clients will be affected by the No Boundaries contract termination, Tippin acknowledged that the City is unsure, saying one of the issues with the grant funds is that his staff doesn’t have all the information about who’s currently enrolled with No Boundaries under the City’s contract.
“We don’t have precise accounting for who is there under our program,” Tippin explained yesterday, “versus who is there under other programs. And we are unable to verify and confirm much of that information for the time being.”
Regardless, all No Boundaries clients will be offered a transition from the Sundial Lodge to another hotel, Tippin said, without immediate consideration for whether they’re technically covered under the state Encampment Resolution Fund grant that the city awarded to No Boundaries.
“Certainly we’re not going to worry about (which of them are our clients),” Tippin said. “Anybody who wants to move, we’re going to assist.”
“The initial plan,” Tippin continued, “is to get everybody who’s interested in receiving that assistance moved and into new shelter space until the longer-term contractual issues will be worked out.”
The move to a new hotel is being facilitated by other nonprofit service providers, Tippin explained, including the Good News Rescue Mission and Shasta Community Health Center (SCHC). Clients will also be provided physical exams by SCHC on site if they wish. It’s not yet clear who will manage the housing contract that No Boundaries used to administer, long-term.
“In this emergency situation,” Tippin said, “we are moving quickly with short-term contracts to get people into protective spaces.”
At the Sundial Lodge this morning, members of Shasta Community Health Center’s Hope Team were knocking on hotel doors and contacting clients outside the building as Good News Rescue Mission staff helped load boxes into trucks.
Shasta Scout spoke to three individuals who said they were current clients with No Boundaries. Latoya, who asked Shasta Scout not to use her last name, said she’d been interviewed by RPD over recent weeks about her experiences, explaining that she has stayed at No Boundaries since September. She said she signed a contract with Cage and paid some money to her directly without realizing that some clients were staying at the facility for free under a City contract.
History of Concerns With No Boundary Contract
No Boundaries Director Cage first began working with the City after being introduced to the Housing Department by RPD’s Community Intervention Response Team (CIRT) in mid-2022. According to Tippin, the police were familiar with Cage’s support services for parolee populations and No Boundaries, Tippin said, was the only entity that was “able or willing to take anybody immediately off the street” into an ostensibly low-barrier housing situation.
“At the time, CIRT was very appreciative that there was somebody there willing to take them in and begin the process of getting help,” he said.
By November 2022, the City had signed a second contract with No Boundaries for more bed space. That month, at a City-promoted reception to introduce her organization to the public, Cage’s statements about her organizational policies indicated the program was not compatible with state funding requirements. City staff, City Council members, and members of RPD’s Community Intervention Resources Team (CIRT) were present at that reception but the City did not respond to a request for comment at the time.
A few days later, Shasta Scout discovered that No Boundaries was operating despite a “suspended” status under California’s Franchise Tax Board. In response to a request for comment, Tippin said at the time that the City was working with No Boundaries to resolve the issue.
By mid-2023, California’s Department of Health Care Services had opened an investigation into No Boundaries to determine whether the nonprofit was providing detoxing services for substance use without holding the appropriate licensure. The investigation, which was based on Cage’s public statements about her services, was eventually closed after investigators found no evidence that Cage was currently providing the kinds of help she had previously claimed.
Over recent months, local service providers and No Boundaries clients have also made public statements regarding their concerns about the organization. The remarks have been shared at City-facilitated public meetings, including a NorCal Continuum of Care stakeholder meeting and an AT HOME Committee meeting. In response to one provider’s comments about Cage’s nonprofit, City Community Development Director Nicole Smith said that the City was conducting monthly check-ins at No Boundaries facilities in response to concerns.
When asked if he believes the signs of organizational issues at No Boundaries have been there for some time, Tippin acknowledged that the City had to help No Boundaries through “many administrative hurdles early on” but said while there were complaints and concerns about the organization, there were also “a number of individuals who made positive statements about the care they received.”
“Those newer concerns,” Tippin continued, “are what are causing us to move into further action.”
The latest contract with No Boundaries was awarded by the Council in March of 2024 when the City committed $725,000 in state Encampment Resolution Funds to pay for forty beds a night through June of 2025.
Smith told Shasta Scout today that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (which provided those state funds) has been informed of the contract termination. Tippin emphasized that the City would continue to meet its contractual obligations with the state to provide those beds, through contracts with other service providers.
“Our goal has been, and continues to be, to help get people into shelter and off the streets,” he said. ”As you know, that’s a difficult process, a complicated issue and we’re going to continue to do our very best.”
Our reporting of this story is unfolding in real time. If you have information to share about No Boundaries, we want to hear from you. Email us at editor@shastascout.org.
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The idea behind No Boundaries is a great concept and beging point for those trying to get back their feet and or re enter society…
I do have to say Christine was not the person the the job. She was rude .. had not an ounce of concern the well being of the people she housed… It was all about the money for her… She was on a power trip … If u didn’t agree or comment to paying money to her… It was explicitly expressed by her, own f u don’t like it… The pack yr sh$t and get out… Or do you “you want a bag” which meant a bag to pack yr sh$t in.
There was no one checking in on individual progress… No programs to help address individual additions. The residents are in there rooms from 10 pm until 6 am … For those 7 hours left to participate in what ever their additions where.. then could the daylight hours to sleep it off or indulge in more unhealthy activities.
As far as meals, you where lucky to get one good meal a day… Let along three meals a day.
Moat rooms where infested in cockroaches and bedbugs!
So, when comes to saying they’re me ght have been fraudulent mistreat of the funding… In my opinion, Hell Yes there was… No doubt in my mind!!
Her mistreatment of individuals was intentional and organized. She took advantage of the most vulnerable and those with least amount options. Those individuals with least amount to loose already.
It warms my heart to know that she has been found out and hopefully is no longer put in charge of people who really need/needed the assistant that she could of provided to make a real difference in there lives!!
It is amazing to hear that those affected by the termation of No Boundaries are being relocated until everything gets fixed.
Now lets talk about the hope program and New beginnings. The scam of keeping people in the program for all of parole term.
It seems easy for you to judge the people that can’t “comply”. There is a lot of information about mental illness and drug addiction. There are many factors contributing, especially to veterans who’ve been through such trauma. Studies of the brain are teaching us new things everyday. We should all look into that before we judge.
My rough draft ‘solution’. I think the, ‘Stand Down’, veterans help event at the Anderson fairgrounds is a good model for, ‘transitional housing’. Our military donate millions to counties in the form of rescue vehicles, assault vehicles and even tanks. Why not the same encampment shelters as the Stand Down event puts up? The first requirement for public food and shelter should be to remain free of drugs and alcohol. For those who can maintain that some form of work should be available with 1/3 of their pay going back into the ‘village’ that is sheltering and feeding them, 1/3 going into an account which they can have when they leave and 1/3 going into their personal pockets for personal needs. People who are at this level of need and can’t comply with what is being offered can just continue being chased from bush to street corner.
I use to stay with at a different location with this program. I didn’t know anything about the financial situation but I do know first hand that one of the male employees has had many sexual relations with some of the female clients that came through the program. Unfortunately for me he tried his charms on me, but I’m not easily convinced. Also the lady who was the boss of the program Christine (forgive me if that’s not how to spell her name) she was so rude to me and my child when I was there. And when I left I had to leave behind quite a bit of clothes of me and my son (side note: you have 3 days to come get the rest of your stuff or they toss it) I was told I wasn’t allowed to come back for any of my stuff and that if I did I’d find my clothes in the dumpster. When I contacted my worker about what happen she said she never even got a call that I left from them. It was her first time recommending someone to that program and she was surprised with all that I told her.
No Boundaries is just that-no boundaries no expectations of the occupants.
NB lacked case management and professionals affording direction to its occupants.
My daughter is an unhomed individual living with substance abuse disorder.
Giving a person that is unhomed a roof over their head without any expectations and direction or case management by educated professionals or direction by those with lived experience sets one up for failure.
My daughter was sheltered at NB sheltered at NB for ten months. It did her no good; ten months of shelter with no help other than me checking in to support her as best I could-I recognize it’s above my pay grade.
For the people at NB, a licensed accredited program is what would be beneficial.
The City had the best intentions ; however, places such as NB need to be policed and held accountable for the population they are supposedly safeguarding to permanent and stable housing.
Christine and her “staff” were ill equipped and lacked experience helping occupants navigate to the next step in order to further progress and recovery.
Unfortunately individuals living at NB received “dismissal” from the premises randomly and with no notice; sent back to camps and the streets.
My observation is that those sheltering at No Boundaries are the most compromised and perhaps mentally vulnerable and require monitored direction.
To relegate fractured individuals back to the streets without another place to go seems to be the wrong approach-aren’t we trying to get the addicted unhomed off our streets? NB was a revolving door of persons all needing help but at the wrong place.
Galway Girl: We’ve been informed that everyone at the site was offered a transition to housing at a new hotel under new case management. Please let us know if you have factual information that indicates otherwise.
The point, this “program” was allowed to exist sans any checks and regulations from local entities.
That the occupants are rehomed to other temporary housing is fantastic; however, why was No Boundaries allowed to exist with no guidelines or monitoring by the city?
This is the crux of the issue.
My son died in this place on Feb 15, 2023. He DIED there.
I truelly believe that the program had good intent the grant barely covers costs for the bills to be paid so people have lights and water let alone food that was made 3 times a day for clients and fixing the rooms as well as keeping pests away and fixing damages done I honestly think that spending $500-750 on program fees for the clients who were able to afford it and if you weren’t able to afford to pitch in she was extremely understanding it gets you in the habit of paying rent and it helps out the program as well as letting you save up for a home I for one am sad to see this program that helped so many go
That the occupants have been referred to other agencies is commendable. My hope is that each individual receives the individual support they require to navigate successfully into permanent housing and employment.
My response was in reference to what transpired at No Boundaries; not what came as a result of the deficits.
No Boundaries was not a program and NB lacked the education to guide the residents into sustainable independent housing.
I think that she should get In trouble because she knew what she was doing?
She did this before embezzlement and served time… I jus feel bad for all the people that gave her money.. double dipping. Yes she helped people off the street but, just to screw them over and take their money.
I can only imagine the condition this hotel is in now…
My son was there. His first words to me “mom!! This place is horrible”. He was there only a short time before he died there . We were trying to find a place for him to go.,
Roach infested filth…
I agree with Mahmoud Darwish!! Fraud is a very serious accusation… especially when someone is trying so hard to help get people off the streets. I have land in Siskiyou County I have wanted to use to help with the problem, but unfortunately, people start judging immediately and yell fraud before a non-profit knows what hit them.
Except Christine knew EXACTLY what she was doing. She isn’t stupid and this isn’t the first time she has tried using homeless and people with drug use issues to make money. She previously got in trouble and sent to prison for doing this exact same thing in Oregon!!!! If you don’t believe me just Google her name and Oregon. So I don’t believe she had any intentions other than making money off of people!!! My family and I stayed there briefly and were kicked out because I found out that she had people living and working at the Sundial (around children!) that are registered sex offenders!! When I discovered that she told us we had to go because we are a threat to her staff!!!!???? We did absolutely nothing wrong but she put us back on the streets. I was also not willing to pay 750 cash to her when my medical was suppose to be paying for me being there. She likes people who just do what she says and don’t question things.
I don’t believe for one second that she had any good intentions when opening this program, she just saw $ signs I am surprised she was able to do any of this with her background, like did no one look into her past at all!?
This is not surprising, all of the blame cannot the placed on Christine Cage or No Boundaries Non-Profit. Let’s face it, our prison system is shutting down, we have no halfway houses anymore, add to that the homeless, many people who used to rent homes can no longer afford them, we have so many drug addicts, mental health patients and mothers with children wandering our streets, and nowhere for them to go. The state, county and city, have no real solutions except to threaten towns and cities and towns to clean it up of face fines. so they dangle contracts in front of people who had good intentions, but were not qualified to dissect the myriad tiers of paperwork, oversite and bureaucracy brought to bear on the operation, couple that with these motels being very poor substitutes for housing, mixing all sorts of issues, and tenants into one hotbed of chaos, and expecting good results! This is nonsensical, and there is plenty of blame to go around. I would suggest smaller more manageable properties that can house clients in the same circumstances and women with children should be completely removed and placed in a transitional home, apart from all other groups. How ludicrous to think you can have groups coming out of prison, many hoping to stay clean and mix them with others who could not care less about recovery. There should have been more oversight in understanding the weakness of the management, a plan should have been formed and implemented using resources within the county to help undergird the needs not being met by management. Then just for good measure, where is the City Council in all of this quagmire, why are these vintage motels that could be refurbished to draw visitors and excitement to the new downtown being used for this purpose at all? There are other places like the Capri that would be suitable for rehab taking the pressure off of the downtown area and it could house so many more coming out of prison. Parole has a much tighter rein on their group than what the county has, We have no jail and little accountability.
Shasta County can benefit from better models including Betty Chinn in Eureka.
No Boundaries is not an accredited program. It’s not a program.
The biggest benefactor of tax dollars is the owner of the hotel who regularly was filming the soda dispenser and emptying the coins from the washer/dryers.
People experiencing homelessness and living with addiction need programs not a housing first model.
Christine Cage capitalized on the drug plague-
So they aren’t spending tax dollars on homeless people as much? The world really is healing. Once they NEED a job and to be a productive member of society instead of being enabled, they’ll be more likely to do so. Happy days happy days
$725,000 to provide 40 beds/night for 15 months works out to rooms @ $40/night. That’s a pretty aggressive price considering the cheapest Redding Motel goes for $60/night and transitional clients tend to be hard on rooms…
Without knowing anything else, I’d be inclined to think this ‘fiscal mismanagement’ probably stemmed from a combination of good intentions & unrealistic expectations rather than fraud.
Yes plenty of fraud. I used to be in that program at that very building. I on many occasions called partnership and asked to make sure she wasn’t being paid while I was paying 750.00 a month to share a room. When I complained about occupant using drugs in my room, she kicked me out saying “Best way to solve this problem was for me to pack my sh!$ and get the f*$! Out.
Hello my name is hadasa I live there since July 7, and I was treated the worst of worse they will come to my room without knocking they will yell at you with really disgusting words. They will emotion abuse you the food was poison. The beds They were so old I was intimidated at all times by the stuff, some of them not all of them I was harassed by this man that worked there he will look at me very disgustingly. I saw a lot of bad treatment. I am traumatized about all this situation. I am going to treatment. I don’t want to say anymore things because it is really bad they were asking me for money and I told him that I didn’t have to pay because I am going through a bad situation with my husband and they told me to sell my phone or disconnect it and pay them. I had a horrible experience in the place. I made a police report. I am glad that everything came out very very bad treatment there.😢
I 100% agree !! On GOD !!!
No Boundaries, perhaps well intentioned, was mismanaged and the “housing first” model, unless the housing is an accredited program, is destined for failure and abuse.
My daughter who is a person living with substance abuse and she lived at NB for ten months. My observation was that it warehouses people and does not help direct them to services or provide case management to facilitate them getting back on the road and becoming productive and healthy citizens. In addition, those “working” at NB were “program” participants. Individuals were randomly put back on the streets…thus setting them even further back.
I remember when this suspension was discovered and came out in Scout and I remember using the information you gathered to speak before the city council. I also remember hearing the sound of crickets from the Bethel majority and Tippin.
Good job, Annelise.
I heard something about No Boundaries billing Medi-Cal for certain services they were not providing. So when the residents would go to get these services elsewhere the services were not covered because Medi-cal said they already received those services. It should definitely be invsetigated.