The Whole Child and City of Santa Fe Springs to break ground on transformative new center that will support children and families experiencing homelessness.
Ceremony on Wednesday, August 3 will celebrate launch of The Whole Child’s Interim Housing and Supportive Services Center funded by the City of Santa Fe Springs, LA County (Supervisor Janice Hahn), the State of California (Homekey2), and the Federal Government (Congresswoman Linda Sanchez).
SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA – The Whole Child, a regional leader in supporting children and families experiencing homelessness on their journey towards permanent housing, and the City of Santa Fe Springs are teaming up to spearhead an innovative five-acre campus at the intersection of Lakeland Road and Laurel Avenue. On Wednesday, August 3, at 11 a.m., funders, officials, and partners will gather to celebrate the kickoff of construction of the first facility to be built on the site: The Whole Child’s Interim Housing and Supportive Services Center for Families and Children. The development will include comprehensive support services for low-income and vulnerable families with children – including veteran families – as well as 40 units of interim housing.
In partnership with developers and funders from the public and private sectors, The Whole Child envisions a broader campus that will ultimately include 101 affordable rental units and 21 ownership units—helping families to realize the dream of owning their own home. This “From Homeless to Homeowner” campus will be the first of its kind in Los Angeles County. Construction of The Whole Child’s Interim Housing and Supportive Services Center for Families and Children represents the first phase of this visionary new concept to end the epidemic of families experiencing homelessness in our communities.
The ceremony to celebrate the initial phase will feature remarks from Constanza Pachon, CEO of The Whole Child; Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn; Mayor Annette Rodriguez; City Manager Ray Cruz; and Alex Moisa, Board Chair of The Whole Child.
“We are grateful to The City of Santa Fe Springs, Supervisor Janice Hahn, and our many philanthropic partners for their early and unwavering support of this project,” said Constanza Pachon, CEO of The Whole Child. “We are glad to have found a path to full funding with the support of Governor Newson and Congresswoman Sanchez. We are all deeply committed to a shared vision of ending family homelessness.”
Added Supervisor Janice Hahn: “This is an important project that will not only provide safe temporary homes for families with children experiencing homelessness, but will also provide these families with some stability and the support they need to get back on their feet. This is going to fill a gap in our system in the Southeastern region of LA County and I am proud to support The Whole Child’s effort here.”
“I congratulate The Whole Child on this important milestone,” said Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez, who represents California’s 38th Congressional District in Congress. “When complete, the interim housing facility and supportive services center will provide families with the resources they need to take a crucial first step away from homelessness and toward permanent housing. Securing funding for this project is a great example of what different levels of government can do when we work together. Alongside my state and county partners, I was proud to help deliver the funding needed to get this project across the finish line. I look forward to seeing the difference it will make for so many in our community.”
The Whole Child’s development team for this campus includes experienced housing developers The Richman Group; award-winning architectural firm SVA Architects; and general contractor, Ravco Inc.
The land this site will be built upon has been stewarded and cultivated by the Gabrielino Tongva People for thousands of years—The Whole Child, the City of Santa Fe Springs, and all funders are grateful for their partnership in this project.
About The Whole Child
The Whole Child (TWC) envisions a world that values the individual needs of each child and secures access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive and live a full, happy life. Our MISSION is to help families raise emotionally and physically healthy children and have a place to call home.
Founded in 1957, The Whole Child provides Mental Health services to at-risk children experiencing trauma and behavioral challenges; Housing Services to families experiencing or at the risk of homelessness; Parenting Education to prevent child abuse/neglect; and Nutrition Education to combat childhood obesity. Today, we provide our array of multidisciplinary services across 10 locations in LA County to more than 3,000+ families annually, 8,000+ people, including 4,500+ children. 78% of our clients are low to extremely low-income families with a single female head of household who is raising 2-3 children.
