By Sara Beth Williamsโ
After closing in 2023 and then reopening in the spring of 2024, the Underground Clothing Connection has officially vacated Sunrise Mall.
During a visit to the mall last week, Underground Clothing store volunteers were seen hauling the storeโs clothing away, but store personnel declined to comment about why the store was closing.
Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team board member and treasurer Kathilynn Carpenter said in an email Thursday that previously the store, which serves families experiencing housing uncertainty, had been given the space for free from November 2020 to June 2022, which Carpenter said was โvery generous of them.โ
Then, the store began to pay a greatly reduced rent. But their lease was about to expire at the end of July this year. In negotiating a new rent with Namdar Realty Group, the proposed rent was expected to more than double. However, Carpenter emphasized it was still โa good rateโ for the space they were occupying.
But Citrus Heights HART, who runs the store, ultimately decided that they couldnโt afford the higher rent.
โWe just couldnโt afford it and the other costs of the store. All of our donationsโindividuals, corporations, grants, etc.โare all way down,โ Carpenter said.
The Underground Clothing Connection operates by appointment and referrals only and offers families in the San Juan Unified School District who are experiencing housing insecurity the opportunity to obtain clean and quality, โon trend,โ new and gently used clothes for free.
The store has been the only tenant open on the south side of the mall for some time, but the south side was blocked off sometime last year with a retractable gate. Families who qualified for aid could visit the store by appointment, and those wishing to donate new or gently used clothes could do so only on Thursdays and one Saturday a month.
The Clothing Connection closed briefly last year when its store manager stepped down. After a short hiatus, the store acquired a new manager, Michelle Camba, who helped gather a group of core volunteers in order to reopen the store, according to Citrus Heights HART board chair and President Irene Hronicek.
The store celebrated with a grand opening ceremony in September 2024, which was attended by multiple volunteers, Citrus Heights City Council members, and community and regional leaders.
โIt really made a positive impact in the parentsโ lives and studentsโ lives,โ McBride said, referencing feedback received from the store within the first two years.
Carpenter said HART is still โexploringโ whether there will be โa path to continueโ the program for families experiencing housing insecurity. In the meantime, HART has seen a rising need for their Rental Assistance program and current fundraising is focused on that program.
*This article has been updated with the correct nonprofit name, Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team.
