New Life Discovery Project says it will continue providing motel-based transitional housing and support services in Redding after police publicized a series of recent incidents involving some of the nonprofit's clients.

Redding Police Department described its encounters with New Life participants in a social-media post on Oct. 29, saying the calls had affected public safety resources over the previous two months. The department cited drug overdoses, including one fatal overdose, violent incidents, arrests on warrants and other enforcement actions involving parolees, probationers and people from outside Shasta County.

Police also reported vandalism and theft cases, along with drug-related offenses. The department said it had made numerous narcotics arrests involving methamphetamine, fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

“Many of these incidents required responses from multiple officers, supervisors, specialized units, medical personnel and jail staff. When resources are committed to these calls, they are unavailable for other public safety needs throughout our community,” the department said in its post. Police said they would continue to share factual information on significant incidents and public-safety trends connected to New Life locations.

The incidents listed by police also included a newborn who tested positive for fentanyl and was placed in protective custody, as well as several violent encounters.

Brent Eddy, New Life's vice president, said the organization serves people dealing with addiction and mental-health needs, a group he described as unpredictable. New Life has operated in Redding for four years and was assisting 279 people as of Oct. 30, Eddy said.

“I don't have the exact statistics, but that stuff's going to happen when you help that many people and try to get them out of a really dark place in their lives,” Eddy said. “We're not 100% successful, we're just not, but we do our best.”

New Life provides housing and related services to men, women, couples and families with children. Its clients are housed at six residential locations in Redding, including motels. Testimony before the Redding City Council in December 2025 identified the Shasta Lodge, Stardust Motel and Deluxe Inn among those locations.

Under New Life's contract with Shasta County's Medi-Cal program, participants may remain in transitional housing for up to 182 days. Eddy said the organization's housing is limited to New Life participants.

A December Redding report identified New Life as one of two major organizations housing parolees in the city. However, Eddy said New Life does not accept registered arsonists or sex offenders and does not receive participants from outside Shasta County. The placement of people from outside the county has been a concern raised in connection with other transitional housing programs.

New Life employs 152 full-time workers, including social workers and registered nurses, Eddy said. He said the staffing provides round-the-clock coverage and security for the program's 279 clients.

Responding to the number of calls referenced by police, Eddy said, “Seventeen calls in two months; I'm not shocked by that percentage.” He said roughly 32% of people in the program who had previously been homeless had moved into permanent housing so far this year.

“If that's not doing good for the community, I don't know what is,” Eddy said.

Source: Redding Record Searchlight