A nonprofit that has played a central role in Modesto's fight against homelessness is shutting down across California, leaving city officials scrambling to keep a key program from collapsing.

The Downtown Streets Team (DST), which provides job training and cleanup crews while helping unhoused individuals transition to housing, announced that it will close its statewide operations at the end of October after 20 years.

In Modesto, DST has served nearly 400 people since 2019, supporting 182 with housing opportunities and helping 127 secure employment. The organization also deployed 68 team members to remove trash and litter across downtown and major corridors each week.

DST has been a cornerstone of the city's Camp2Home program, a five-phase pathway out of homelessness that connects people from the streets to shelter, job training, employment, and permanent housing. City officials say losing the job-training step puts the entire model at risk.

"Downtown Streets Team is a huge loss to Modesto," said Jessica Hill, the city's director of economic development. "Our overall goal is to create that job training component that will help fill the gaps that Downtown Streets Team has left, and right now we're still looking at options."

DST declined an on-camera interview, but in a statement, the nonprofit emphasized its impact.

"Since 2019, DST served nearly 400 individuals in Modesto, supported 182 people with housing opportunities, and helped 127 people secure employment," the statement said. "With our staff, participants, and partners, we built community, restored hope, and created opportunities that will ripple far beyond the life of the organization."

Modesto city staff say they are in talks with nonprofits and local partners to build a replacement program before the October 31 closure date.