Only 12% of those individuals are sheltered. Housing for this population is a critical issue facing our region today. That is why Century has been a major component in the creation of several developments assisting the homeless. One of the most innovative of these is the P.A.T.H. Regional Homeless Center in Hollywood, operated by People Assisting The Homeless.

The P.A.T.H. Regional Homeless Center is a full-service, one-stop homeless shelter providing a holistic approach to serving the homeless. The idea—which P.A.T.H. has truly brought to fruition—is to provide a comprehensive collection of services, including a mental health clinic, housing and support for A.I.D.S. patients, a homeless court, a beauty parlor, and a Century/LIFT^® tutoring program for children.

Other service providers on site include the CLARE Foundation Substance Abuse Prevention Center, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Public Social Services, California Employment Development Department, Gateways Mental Health Center, Homeless Veterans Services, LAUSD Learning Center, and many more.

The center serves more than 10,000 homeless individuals each year, places nearly 1,000 into full-time jobs each year, and provides transitional housing for more than 750 people annually.

Another recent Century loan is helping Skid Row Housing Trust, a nonprofit developer, to create Abbey Apartments—115 single resident occupancy (SRO) units for low-income homeless residents in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. All 115 units will be affordable to very low-income formerly homeless tenants—those earning between 25% and 40% of area median income, or about $11,475 to $18,360 annually for an individual. Ninety units will be set-aside for people diagnosed with chronic or severe mental illness, and other disorders.

On any given night, there are 16,000 homeless vets on the streets of Los Angeles County.

The national figure is more than 12 times that amount. Century has collaborated with U.S.VETS, an organization serving the homeless veteran population, in the creation of two Southland centers—the largest of their kind in the nation—which provide shelter and services to meet this need.

The first collaborative effort resulted in Westside Residence Hall, located near Los Angeles International Airport in the city of Inglewood. This 515-bed facility for formerly homeless veterans provides transitional housing and services such as employment assistance, case management, counseling, job placement, and career planning—all in a safe, sober environment.

Another collaboration with U.S. VETS produced the Century Villages at Cabrillo, an ingenious re-use of a former U.S. Naval housing site located in Long Beach, California. This 26-acre community is the largest, most comprehensive residential social service complex of its kind in the country, serving both veteran and non-veteran homeless individuals and families in need of transitional housing and services. By coordinating existing support service agencies at one transitional housing location, the Villages at Cabrillo complex provides efficient delivery for such services as substance abuse treatment, employment training and placement, residential employment, and special programs for female, Native American, senior, and disabled veterans. Homeless families and youth are also served, with programs such as early child development, a school for homeless children, and after-school tutoring. Currently, the facility serves more than 4,000 men, women, and children annually.

The beautiful grounds and architecture of the Villages at Cabrillo have won numerous awards. Century and U.S. VETS earned national recognition as the Special Needs Tax Credit Excellence Award winner by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition as a result of their partnership with John Hancock Realty Advisors, which purchased tax credits connected with the Villages at Cabrillo for $8.7 million.

U.S. VETS reports that the programs at Westside and the Villages at Cabrillo have an 85% success rate in getting homeless veterans back to work within 35 days. Many have gone on to start their own small businesses, and even purchase their own homes. Combined, these two centers have served more than 10,000 homeless individuals.

For more information on how you can support these efforts, please contact Kim Ferraro at (310)642-2072 or e-mail kferraro (at) centuryhousing.org.