Month: July 2023

New affordable housing complex overlooks Hansen Dam

URBANIZE LOS ANGELES | BY STEVEN SHARP | PHOTOS BY RIC BERRYMAN

In the hills above Sylmar and Lake View Terrace, construction is complete for a new permanent supportive housing complex from co-developers LA Family Housing and Many Mansions.

 

 

The Summit View apartments, built on a site overlooking Hansen Dam at 11681 Foothill Boulevard, consists of four interconnected buildings which feature 48 studio and one-bedroom apartments reserved for formerly homeless veterans earning between 30 and 50 percent of the area median income level. 

“Today, when I walk through my front door here at Summit View, I feel something I’ve never felt before in my life: I feel at home. After so many difficult years, I feel like myself again,” said Donte Aguilar, a U.S. Navy veteran and Summit View resident at the project’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Every day, I cook in my own kitchen, take a shower in my own bathroom, and sleep in my own bed. My confidence has gone up. I’m working on rebuilding relationships with friends and family. Thanks to my incredible neighbors and the wonderful staff here at Summit View, I am truly thriving.”

 

 

GGA designed Summit View, which includes two- and three-story structures oriented around courtyard spaces, landscaped decks, and terrace gardens. The more than 120,000-square-foot development also features community rooms, a computer lab, fitness center, on-site services, laundry facilities, and surface parking for 17 vehicles. 

“Today’s grand opening is proof that we’re continuing to make progress towards helping our homeless neighbors and getting a permanent roof over their heads,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I’m especially proud of this project’s focus on housing veterans. This year’s homeless count found that there was at least a 12% increase among homeless veterans. That amounts to 422 more individuals who served our country yet are abandoned, living in squalid conditions on our streets. That’s unacceptable. I am committed to mobilizing County resources and working with state, city, and community-based organizations to make more projects like Summit View Apartments a reality in my district. These homes will change lives.” 

 

The Summit View apartments debut shortly after the release of the result of the most recent Greater Los Angeles homeless count, which found that more than 75,000 people are experiencing homelessness in the region – roughly 4,000 of whom are veterans. 

Article originally appeared in the  URBANIZE LOS ANGELES (Read full story and additional photos)

Summit View Apartments models community partnership to provide permanent homes and supportive services to Veterans transitioning out of homelessness

A group of formerly homeless Veterans now have a place to call “home.” They are finally coming home to a new permanent supportive housing development in Sylmar. Community members, partner organizations, and civic leaders from across Los Angeles came together to celebrate the official grand opening of Summit View Apartments, which is providing 48 permanent homes for veterans experiencing homelessness.

“Today, when I walk through my front door here at Summit View, I feel something I’ve never felt before in my life: I feel at home. After so many difficult years, I feel like myself again,” said Donte Aguilar, a U.S. Navy veteran and Summit View resident. “Every day, I cook in my own kitchen, take a shower in my own bathroom, and sleep in my own bed. My confidence has gone up. I’m working on rebuilding relationships with friends and family. Thanks to my incredible neighbors and the wonderful staff here at Summit View, I am truly thriving.”

Overlooking Hansen Dam, Summit View Apartments, has an open-air courtyard, community rooms, a computer lab, fitness center, and laundry facilities that foster healthful living and community building.

“Many Mansions is proud to have collaborated with LA Family Housing, the Veterans Administration, the City of Los Angeles, and so many others on this meaningful project,” said Rick Schroeder, President of Many Mansions. “We know from our deep experience in developing supportive housing that Summit View Apartments will play an impactful role in the lives of our Veteran residents for years to come.”

“Today’s grand opening is proof that we’re continuing to make progress towards helping our homeless neighbors and getting a permanent roof over their heads,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I’m especially proud of this project’s focus on housing veterans. This year’s homeless count found that there was at least a 12% increase among homeless veterans. That amounts to 422 more individuals who served our country yet are abandoned, living in squalid conditions on our streets. That’s unacceptable. I am committed to mobilizing County resources and working with state, city, and community-based organizations to make more projects like Summit View Apartments a reality in my district. These homes will change lives.”

It’s estimated that at least 4,000 veterans in LA County are homeless. Despite services that are supposed to be available to veterans, they’ve historically faced barriers to housing and resources.

Veterans now housed at this apartment complex will now have access to a range of voluntarily accessible onsite supportive services to enable them to thrive long-term, including comprehensive case management, connections to health care services, education and employment resources, life skills training, and more.

“We must build more permanent supportive housing throughout Los Angeles. This project will provide much-needed housing for our veterans as well as others who need a helping hand to get back on their feet,” said Mayor Karen Bass. Thank you to LA Family Housing and Many Mansions for continuing your work with us to confront the homelessness crisis head on and to house our most vulnerable.”

“I was proud to celebrate the grand opening of Summit View Apartments, which provides much-needed housing for Veterans experiencing homelessness in my district,” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. “As a daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, advocate for veteran services and representative for hundreds of veterans in my district, I am particularly thrilled to welcome this housing in my district and will continue to fight to ensure this community receives the services and assistance it deserves.”

“Today is a day of celebration and joy as we officially welcome 48 formerly homeless veterans home. With a roof over their heads and a door they can close, they can begin the process of healing, regaining personal stability, and ultimately, thriving,” said Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, President and CEO of LA Family Housing. “LA Family Housing is beyond grateful to all our partners who made it possible for us to build the kind of housing we know is effective in ending homelessness in people’s lives.”

Article originally appeared in the  the San Fernando Valley Sun (Read full story and additional photos).

Modular Construction Speeds Pace

Construction has started on an apartment complex near Camarillo that will provide affordable housing to older adults.

“Housing the community’s most vulnerable seniors is a priority, and this development with the wraparound services will provide stability and dignity to those in their later years who have limited financial resources,” said Linda Fisher Helton, community relations manager for the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura. “And it doesn’t matter why or how they have found themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness.”

The $38-million project known as Rancho Sierra Apartments was conceptually approved by the county Board of Supervisors in June 2020 and is a collaboration among nonprofit Many Mansions, the Area Housing Authority and Ventura County Behavioral Health. The largest source of funding is federal tax credits.

Located in the 1700 block of S. Lewis Road just outside city limits, the complex will include one two-bedroom unit for a property manager and 49 one-bedroom units allocated for extremely low-income seniors, with half for homeless seniors.

Rick Schroeder, president of affordable housing provider Many Mansions, said individuals 62 and older are the fastest growing demographic of Ventura County’s homeless population.

“We’re hoping to have a huge impact,” he said. “People probably aren’t aware that much of our homeless population is now elderly people—the people who are the most vulnerable and the ones who are really struggling.”

Rent will be equivalent to 30% of residents’ income, with the remaining amount paid with Section 8 vouchers.

Residents will have access to county-provided services targeted toward their age bracket that address the root causes of homelessness, Schroeder said. These include nutrition workshops and assistance with healthcare and other government benefits.

Completion is expected as early as April 2024.

Rancho Sierra Apartments is the first housing development in the county to be built using modular development.

Since the May 31 groundbreaking, several modules have been delivered, and the prefabricated apartments will likely be assembled into one building on the 2-acre, county-owned plot in August. The technique will cut construction time by about six months.

“It definitely is going to speed up the project, and that’s going to be one of the major benefits,” Schroeder said. “We hope that if it does work out well, this is something that we and other affordable housing developers can use in other places.”

A potential second phase of the project would involve building additional affordable apartments on the remaining land.

The housing authority will begin accepting applications 8 a.m. Aug. 8 at onlineportal.ahacv.org for the project-based voucher rental assistance program. A random lottery drawing will determine applicants’ placement on the waitlist. For assistance, contact (805) 480-6010 or email WL.info@ahacv.org.

Article originally appeared at the Camarillo Acorn (click to read full story).