Week 3: Affordable Housing & Resident Services

Ask anyone in City Heights what they consider to be the most pressing challenge residents face, and most will tell you without even blinking: housing is the challenge.

This is why so much of our work over the past 40 years has been focused on the housing crisis in our community. Our Affordable Housing team’s mission is to increase the quality and availability of affordable housing for low-income residents in City Heights by preserving existing housing options, developing new ones, and protecting the rights of our residents.

Our half dozen housing properties span the community of City Heights and add up to over 600 households. From Hollywood Palms to Metro Villas to the beautiful Talmadge Gateway, a unique set of homes specifically for formerly homeless, elderly, and veterans.

But the teams’ work go beyond just providing and managing housing. Our property management staff and resident services team consistently go above and beyond their job descriptions, getting to know residents personally, working to meet needs wherever they can, often well beyond the scope of their daily work.

Here’s Asha Cabrera, our Resident Services Manager, summing up the team’s weekly work:

We serve at least 100 families monthly. Our regular services are emergency food pantry twice a month for any residents needing additional food, daily afterschool programming and tutoring for children, and open computer services for all residents.

The Resident Services team has also provided scholarships to local students through the Legacy Scholarship, summer programs like REACH training, and hot meals delivered to elderly residents.

All of this work managing housing and supporting residents became much more urgent and acutely needed since COVID as residents continue to get back on their feet and find stability.

To all of you who donated or volunteered in support of residents: thank you! When you give, we rise together and help keep people thriving in their homes, secure and hopeful!