Cynthia Caughey

Sample Grants for NonProfits

 

Affordable Housing Letter Of Inquiry

 

March 29, 2013

 

Corporate Contributions Manager

XXX Foundation

XXXX

San Jose, CA  95113

 

Dear Corporate Contributions Manager:

 

XXX is respectfully submitting this Proposal to the XX Foundation to request $10,000 of financial operating support to partially underwrite our resident supportive services expansion and our affordable housing development in Los Angeles County for the 2013 fiscal year.
 

Our Mission, Background: XXX develops, owns, operates, and advocates for safe, decent affordable housing for people with limited income, including those with special needs, which enhances the community and supports economic diversity.  XX has completed/developed 15 affordable housing projects with 398 units and more than 570 residents.

 

Since its inception in 1986, XX has focused on seniors, people with special needs, low-income families and people living with HIV/AIDS. More recently, XX is developing projects that include units set aside for transitional-age youth (TAY). Ninety-percent of the people we house have incomes which fall below 60% and most are below 50% and 40% of the Area Median Income. We are also committed to ensuring that projects in our capital portfolio maintain high development standards and implement energy-efficient systems and best practices. XX focuses on Green Living by building energy efficient buildings and by teaching and encouraging our tenants to 'live green' by recycling, adopting energy and water saving practices, and participating in our community garden programs. We are also expanding our resident services program to support a rapidly aging population of residents in which the frail elderly or "super seniors" are the largest growing group.
 

Problem the Project Addresses: California’s urgent need for more units of affordable housing is well documented. In 2012, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) released a report stating the following: “More than 8.5 million households headed by an adult age 65+ spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs and 4.6 million spend more than half their income on housing.”  “During the past decade, California’s rental market did not follow the same trajectory of boom and bust as the homeownership market. While housing prices declined from 2006 to 2011, rents increased throughout the state by an average of ten percent, tightening the rental housing market.” “As the 2010 Census revealed, rental vacancy rates in California (6.3 percent) were well below those in the rest of the nation (9.2 percent) in 2010. Income has declined for all the income categories, with lower income households seeing the most substantial losses, the gap between upper- and lower-income households widening, and the middle-income range shrinking.  One in two renters in California pays in excess of 30 percent of their income, while one in four renters pay more than half of their income toward rent.” “According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, affordability of rental housing has worsened in California since 2007. In 2007, a minimum wage renter had to work 120 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment. In 2010, the number of hours increased to 128, and reached 131 in 2011. In 2012, a household must include 3.3 full-time minimum wage jobs to afford a two-bedroom rental.” “California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC) estimates 68,000 of the federally subsidized affordable apartments in California are at-risk of conversion to market rate in the next five years.”
 

How Issue Relates to XX’s Mission/Area of Focus: XX’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, specifically developing affordable housing, correlates directly with XX’s core mission: to develop, own, operate, and advocate for safe, decent affordable housing for people with limited income, including those with special needs.  XX works diligently to expand the availability of affordable housing in West Hollywood and greater Los Angeles County, and to provide extensive supportive services to ensure its residents remain stabilized and healthy in their housing.
 

Who Are the People Served by Project:  XX develops, owns, operates, and advocates for safe, decent affordable housing for people with limited income, including those with special needs, which enhances the community and supports economic diversity.  Ninety-five percent of the people we serve are below 60% and most are below 50% and 40% AMI. More specifically, XX focuses on low and very low income housing for families, older adults, people with special needs including HIV/AIDS, and most recently TAY (transitional-age youth). 
 

How Our Program is Unique: XX houses the largest populations of seniors and disabled persons in the City of West Hollywood, and our services support resident and family self-reliance through collaboration with community based organizations, volunteer opportunities, and most importantly, onsite programs which improve quality of life. The expanded program provides the observation, intervention, referrals or on-site services, family counseling and support, opportunities for enrichment and socialization needed to enhance resident housing stability, and quality of life as they experience increasing frailty and disability. Onsite support for the individual residents enhances building stability, which contributes greatly to neighborhood quality and security. The XX Charitable Foundation’s grant would help underwrite this service expansion.
 

XX is proud to have won several awards for architectural design and their contribution to the communities in which they are located:
• 2012 LA Business Council Multifamily Affordable Project of the Year for Stovall Villa
• 2010 SCANPH Affordable Housing Special Needs Award for Sierra Bonita Apartments
• 2008 Design Concept Award of Excellence from the Los Angeles Business Council for the Sierra Bonita Project/affordable low-rise housing
• 2005 Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing [SCANPH] Project of the Year Award for Havenhurst Apartments
• 2001 Design Award from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment for Glen Grove Apartments
• 2000 Beautification Award from the Los Angeles Business Council for Palm View Apartments

XX has been a major force in providing low-income affordable housing in the Eastside Redevelopment Area of West Hollywood, Glendale, and most recently Los Angeles, for 26 years. Each of our 15 completed apartment buildings, totaling 570+ residents from the LMI community, have either replaced vacant/abandoned properties or rehabilitated deteriorating housing in blighted areas which draw vagrants, crime and bring down property values. Our well-designed and managed apartment communities increase pride, visually enhance and stabilize neighborhoods in which they are built, and reinvigorate surrounding small businesses.
 

Expected Outcomes:  XX's primary goal is to expand and diversify low-income housing production within the Los Angeles Basin by establishing a financial base that maintains corporate viability and fosters housing development and growth. XX is committed to ensuring that projects maintain high development standards and implement energy-efficient systems and best practices.  XX is also committed to Green Living by operating energy efficient buildings. By continuing to expand our resident services program, particularly to the growing frail elderly population, XX facilitates the residents’ ability to live successfully in independent housing.

 

The specific outcomes related to this funding will include the development of the following 115 units - This site is in escrow. It is a build-by right-project and we are in the process of obtaining financing.  Vermont-Manzanita, also a family project, is located in the City of Los Angeles. It will be a 40 unit project, 15 of which are reserved for “at risk” families which have children under the age of five years. XX was successful in securing capital funds from FirstFive LA, and the County of Los Angeles. We will be applying for an allocation of Low Income Tax Credits for XX in July, 2013. If successful, the project will start construction in April, 2014 and be complete in September, 2015.

 

XX Village  - This site is in escrow.  Live Oak has received both Home funding and LA County General Fund financing through a competitive process conducted between December, 2012 and January, 2013.  XX Village will be a 43 unit family project which will have 10 live-work units on the first floor and a combination of one, two and three-bedroom units on the floors above. Five units will be set aside for Transition Age Youth (TAY). We are working on obtaining entitlements for the project and the community appears to be positive about the new development. If entitlements are secured before July, 2013 XX will be applying for allocation of 9% Low Income Tax Credits in the July TCAC competition.  If successful, the project will start construction in April, 2014 and be complete in September, 2015.

 

The XX La Brea will be a 32-unit development with half the units designated for people with special needs, such as those living with HIV/AIDS and mental illness, and five units reserved for Transition Age Youth (TAY).  The XX at La Brea will focus on sustainability, and will be GreenPoint Rated, a program of Build It Green. In addition, The XX will include several sustainable activities for residents that XX is developing as part of a new Green Living Program. There will be an edible garden component, and Storm Water Management Strategies, and low-impact development practices onsite are being proposed, including two infiltration planters to control storm water pollution by retaining as much storm water on-site as possible. The project is expected to be complete in October, 2013. 
 

Rationale of and Request to XX: A growing body of research finds that lower rents mean more money for residents to spend on everything from health care to groceries, boosting local business and property values (Crain's New York, June 23, 2010). More studies find that federally subsidized developments have led to increases in surrounding property values (NYU, Law and Economics Research Paper No. 05-04, Mar. 2005). Research also suggests that stable, affordable housing provides children with enhanced opportunities for educational success (National Housing Conference/Enterprise). A similar study also shows that affordable housing plays a central role in attaining better health among residents (National Housing Conference/Enterprise). XX has seen similar results as outlined in the research with our own housing developments.

 

XX’s grant would help underwrite our costs for both housing development and resident services staff members, as well as the costs associated with predevelopment of future projects.  These costs include architectural and financial feasibility studies, engineering costs, holding costs, geo-technical expenses, liability insurance, legal costs and/or closing or tile recording expenses.

 

Key Program or Deadline Objectives: XX is developing 115 new units of affordable housing for low income and very low income families/households, those living with HIV/AIDS and mental illness, TAY, and disabled seniors. These projects will include Vermont-Manzanita (family project with 40 units in the City of Los Angeles); XX Village (family project with 43 units in the unincorporated of Los Angeles County near Arcadia); and The XX at La Brea (special needs and TAY project with 32 units in West Hollywood). XX projected completion date is September, 2015; X Village is projected to be completed in the same time frame, and The XX at La Brea’s target completion date is in October, 2013. Resident services has already completed its extensive needs assessment, has hired three additional Resident Services Coordinators (RSCs) and has begun implementing its expansion of social services to its tenants.
 

Measure the Success:  Tracking of our metrics, which primarily entails developing additional affordable housing in the Los Angeles County area, will be measured by the ability of XX to move expeditiously to finish the XX at La Brea project, and to complete the due diligence, assembly of financing, planning entitlements, neighborhood outreach, acquisition and construction of the XX, and XX Village projects. In addition, the implementation of our expanded resident services program will be evaluated with a variety of measures developed to evaluate resident stability and quality of life. 

 

To track our organizational effectiveness and financial stability, both XX staff and the Board analyze our budget to actual income and expenses on a monthly basis.  We also create monthly five year cash flow projections based on changing assumptions for sources and uses of funding, and monitor the accuracy of these assumptions in order to shift priorities and strategies, if appropriate. 

 

To ensure the quality and attractiveness of its projects, XX maintains high standards of design for our developments. Our staff is involved in every phase of real estate development and management, guaranteeing a project of which we, our investors and our residents, can be proud. An added feature to our project outcomes is the use of ‘green’ principles in the design and operations of our projects. Finally, XX and its contracted property management company, The XX Company, adhere to meticulous guidelines of comprehensive management to ensure the properties are financially sound, safe, attractive, and an asset to the communities in which they are located. 
 

Sustainability of the Programs Beyond Funding:  XX’s aggressive production schedule will allow for both financial stability for the agency through development fees, and continued presence and revitalization of the communities where it builds.  XX has also successfully established numerous funding sources for the construction and acquisition of its projects including banks, low-income tax credits, Affordable Housing Program (AHP) loans, HOME program loans, HUD 202 Program, California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA) loans, Century Freeway Housing Program (CHFP) loans, Actor’s Fund loans, State MHP, and government sources such as the City of West Hollywood, Los Angeles Housing Trust, and City of Industry funds. 

 

To ensure ongoing funding of our resident services, XX has instituted a new policy of including a line item in the operating budget for resident services for all future developments, which will ensure ongoing funding for these programs. XX has identified administrative funding from developer fees generated by two new projects which can be used for resident services. XX also had a very successful fundraiser with our 25th Anniversary Gala on February 1st, 2012. We had a sold-out attendance and raised more than $43,000 in net profit.  This success was repeated this year on March 2 except that our net profits were doubled.  These funds have been allocated to our resident services programs.
 

Attachments: XX has never received funding from XX Charitable Foundation. XX does not produce an annual report but we have attached a list of our Projects. Information about our agency, donors, projects and events can be found on www.XX.org.
 

Contact Information: XX

 

Warm Regards,

 

******************************

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT HEALTH PROGRAM Grant:

 

XX Consortium

Request to the XXX Foundation

 

I.    Proposal Summary

The XX Consortium is requesting a grant totaling $25,000 under the xxx Foundation’s prevention funding for Phase II of its Health Project.  This second phase will focus on health education, training in health advocacy and community organizing. The Consortium is requesting funding to both underwrite the planning stages of this effort, including curriculum adaptation or development, advocacy issues identification, and the recruiting and training of community members interested in participating. This operational grant will partly support the salaries of project personnel and the cost of implementing project activities. The Consortium is particularly focused on being able to facilitate the environmental changes that are necessary to allow people to improve their health. 

 

II.  Agency Information

A. History, Mission, Expertise of Agency:

Formed in 2001 as a collaborative effort to serve a core group of inner city Episcopal parishes in low-income communities within Los Angeles County, the XX Consortium operates as a collective of urban churches. The mission of the Consortium is to create healthy and just neighborhoods through enrichment opportunities and leadership programs. In forming the Consortium, member churches made a commitment to offer their church facilities as non-religious, neighborhood resource centers and sites for program activities, open to the general community. The Consortium, a 501c3, strives to create safe and healthy neighborhoods through access to education and health education services, cultural enrichment opportunities, youth organizing and leadership programs. The goals of the Consortium are to: 1) offer health education to families, youth and seniors; 2) provide children and youth with after-school enrichment programs, with a focus on gang intervention and prevention; 3) promote community health, nutrition and fitness opportunities; 4) develop community leadership by supporting and skill-building community leaders in their efforts to improve the community’s quality of life, especially promoting non-violence, community organizing, and inter-cultural understanding. Consortium members include the xx Episcopal Church in Inglewood; xx Episcopal Church in Hollywood; and xx Episcopal Church in Long Beach. A fourth church, xx in South Central Los Angeles, offers their facilities for our fitness programs.

 

B. Description of programs, accomplishments:

Recognizing the disparities in the urban, low-income, predominantly minority communities they serve, the member churches of the XX Consortium came together out of a common belief that churches should be able to provide much more for their communities than just a place to worship. The member parishes of the Consortium act as resource centers for the community, providing a multi-generational array of needed services, cultural activities, fitness programs, and educational opportunities. Our key programs include the:

 

▪  Health Project: a health, nutrition and fitness promotion and education program. The goal of this program is to increase community awareness of the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition and to assist parishioners and community members to achieve optimal health through fitness and nutrition activities. The Project serves over 20,800 participants annually (duplicated).

 

▪  Youth Leadership Development, which includes recreational activities focused on life skills training and gang prevention and intervention, culminating in community development skills-building. This year the program will serve between 60-80 youth.

 

C. Demographics of constituency:

XX serves all races, genders, and ages however our primary population is low-income households, African-Americans, and Latinos (including immigrants). More specifically, St XX Church, located in Long Beach, serves a community of over 38,000 residents, 15% whom are African Americans and 36% are Latinos. 26% of the population is at or below 185% of federal poverty level and local schools reflect an average rate of 65% of their students participating in free or reduced meal program. St. XX Church, located in South Los Angeles, serves a community of over 100,000 residents, with 80% of the population living at or below 185% of federal the poverty level and the unemployment rate is 48%. In addition, 15% of the community is African American and 75% are Latinos. Saint XX Episcopal Church, located in Hollywood, serves a community of 168,000 residents.  26% of the population lives below the poverty level.  xx Episcopal Church, located in Inglewood, serves a community of over 37,000 residents, 49% whom are African Americans. 42% of the population is at or below 185% of federal poverty level and local schools reflect a rate of 65-91% of their students participating in free or reduced meal program. The tests scores for the local schools rank among the lowest in Los Angeles County. 

 

III. Funding Request

A. What specific healthcare project is UniHealth being asked to fund?

The Consortium’s Health Project Phase II involves collaboration with LA Voice, an interfaith, community organization that unites people from diverse backgrounds to improve the quality of life, especially for those in greatest need. LA Voice is part of the PICO National Network, which has developed community leaders in 150 cities and 18 states. XX’s overarching goal will be to recruit current participants in our health project programs to work as advocates, educators and community organizers towards the improvement of their low income, distressed communities. The process to reach this goal includes inviting fitness/nutrition class members at each parish to attend after-class meetings, engaging them as change agents. From those meetings, several community/parish members will volunteer to attend trainings and workshops which are designed to teach advocacy and community organizing skills and techniques. These meetings will be transformed into the actual process of assessing community health needs and the identification of at least one health campaign to launch in 2009.

 

B. Health related needs being met by the program:

Throughout Los Angeles County, low-income individuals must daily confront health, safety and healthy food access disparities that place them among those of the most impoverished individuals in the United States. While residents of middle class and upper middle class neighborhoods enjoy access to farmer’s markets and fresh, well-stocked produce sections in grocery stores, those living in low-income communities have few opportunities to purchase high quality fresh fruits and vegetables at low cost, and are surrounded by fast food restaurants offering high fat, energy dense, inexpensive food choices. While individuals in middle-upper income parts of Los Angeles live among abundant parks and recreational facilities, those in poorer parts of the county have few, safe places where they can exercise. While many people in Los Angeles do not hesitate to walk through their neighborhoods at night, those in low-income neighborhoods must keep their children inside at all hours of the day for fear of gang and gun violence in their own front yards. While children in wealthy communities participate in numerous educational extra-curricular activities, many children in some of our schools leave high school unable to read or write. Consequently, people living in low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles face increased incidences of diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases; increased incidences of obesity, and live in communities in which they must daily fear for their safety and that of their children.

 

Major disparities exist among population groups, with a disproportionate burden of death and disability from chronic, preventable diseases in minority and low-income populations. Recent studies, (Broderick et al, 1998; Adler, et al, 1998; Marmon et al, 1997) showed that minorities, especially Latinos and African Americans have a higher incidence of stroke mortality than other groups. In Latinos, this is due to a high incidence of diabetes. In Los Angeles County, a recent report on the health trends in the county (Department of Health Services, 2002), reported that large racial and ethnic disparities in health status continue to persist and appear to be increasing. In the case of certain diseases - heart disease, stroke and diabetes - these disparities have worsened, with Latinos and African Americans continuing to suffer a disproportionate burden of disease. Disparities also exist in the prevalence of risk factors for hypertension and heart disease.  Several factors that disproportionately affect people of color contribute to high rates of these diseases among Latinos: low socioeconomic status, limited access to health care services, environmental factors and behavioral risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, high fat diet, diabetes, and smoking. In California, leisure-time physical inactivity is most prevalent among Latino men (70.4%). In addition, high blood pressure is more than twice as prevalent among Latino women (35%), obesity is more prevalent among Latino women (42.7%) than among any other race or gender group and diabetes is prevalent in 12.9% of Latinos - only African Americans (14.7%) have a higher prevalence of this disease. Because the risk of developing heart disease and stroke rises with age, heart disease and stroke are expected to increase among Latinos over the next 20 years.

 

C. How was the need assessed:

The Consortium finished an extensive needs assessment in January of 2007 and the final report was presented to the Board of Directors in the same month. The needs assessment consisted of four focus groups at each of the xx sites (totaling 16 groups). Participants included major stakeholders: parishioners, local parents who do not attend church, youth who do not attend church, nonprofit providers who understand the health/wellness needs of the community, well-being organization representatives, local government representatives, community organizers and representatives from other faith communities interested in community health. XX was successful in bringing together 23% more stakeholders than our minimum target number of 128 people. A total of 158 people in 16 groups participated. Seven of the 16 groups (44%) were conducted in Spanish.

 

Several community needs were identified and key strategic goals were formulated as a result of this year-long effort. The health and well-being needs identified through the Needs Assessment were organized into five categories: 1)  Education is needed in four general areas: what resources already exist, how to navigate the system to receive care, and knowing more about what xx can and does provide and possessing basic knowledge about nutrition; 2) Five primary aspects related to accessing health and well being services were identified: money/funding, language, knowledge, availability and transportation; 3) Communities lack an understanding of what constitutes good nutrition or the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables; inadequate green places to “breath” and desired more space to recreate and participate in physical activities; more health screenings, examinations, prevention programs, and assistance with understanding the new drug prescription programs; lack of accessibility of the medical services and lack of adequate transportation to receive health services; 4) Alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence and depression were identified as the predominant mental health needs in low-income communities; 5) Drugs, violence and gang activity were the most identified systemic problems in the communities involved in the needs assessment. In response to this need, X launched the successful Youth Leadership Development Program in 2007.

 

D. Provide evidence of its importance:

There is a great deal of literature, empirical studies and community experience which underlines the importance of health education, good nutrition and fitness activities, and neighborhood involvement in changing distressed communities. Statistics presented in III.B. represent just the tip of the iceberg.

 

IV. Key Activities and Objectives

 

A. What do you hope to accomplish:

The goal of our community organizing activities includes 1) enable parish and community members to realize their power in improving the health of their distressed neighborhoods; 2) provide training on how to effectively identify the needs of the community and ways to address those needs; 3) provide members access to the policy-makers and power brokers of their communities. The needs that are addressed will be decided by the participants but tangible results of this work could include such results as a new farmers' market; fruit and vegetable co-ops; community gardens; improved lighting for parks for evening fitness; utilization of parks for fitness that are underutilized due to fear of drug activities; fewer fast food restaurants; or unused land that could be the site of community gardens, to name a few examples.

 

B. What are measurable objectives:

            1) Recruit at least ten (10) participants from the Health Project’s activities to be members of a local organizing committee.  These participants will attend meetings and trainings to learn and engage in the process of community organizing.  Participants will be recruited and identified by month four (4).

            2) Create an active local organizing committee that meets regularly and has an average attendance by at least ten (10) participants.  During these local organizing committee meetings, participants will discuss and identify pressing health issues that impact their families and community, research possible solutions and plan appropriate actions.   Regular meetings will begin be month six (6).

            3) Identify one health-based advocacy campaign for XX’s members and its collaborative partners to engage in by month eleven (11).  The campaign will include tailored strategies and tasks that will address the local assets and challenges of the community.

 

C. Key activities:

XX’s Health Project and all of its activities will continue to serve its participants, totaling more than 400 attendees (duplicated) weekly, 20,800 annually. Our hope is that the participants of these fitness/nutrition classes will be core group from which our community organizing will commence.

            Beyond that, the Consortium, in collaboration with its advocacy partners, will focus the first six to nine months of the grant period on scheduling trainings and identifying potential community organizers for its advocacy campaigns. During this time, the X Consortium and its collaborative partners will work with the community members in targeting issues which the members feel are critical to address. Many of those issues have already been identified in the needs assessment which was done last year. Other possibilities include farmers' markets; fruit and vegetable co-ops; community gardens; improved lighting for parks; parks that are underutilized due to fear of drug activities, there may be an excess of fast food restaurants or a lack of places to purchase fresh produce, or an unused land that could be the site of community gardens. It is key that the focus of our advocacy work arises out of the community rather than be identified and implemented based on XX’s history or staff/volunteer intuition.

            The process of advocacy and community organizing includes a needs assessment or identification of problems to be addressed. Secondly, research must be performed on the issues themselves as well as proposing the best solutions. Part of this process is the identification of the power brokers in that community, i.e., elected officials, policy-makers, major business leaders, etc. Thirdly, members must take action whether that be educating the public, influencing the power brokers, holding meetings with the school district, or forming neighborhood watches, to name a few examples. Lastly, once the campaign has concluded, it is time for reflection. This is the appropriate time to ask ‘how did we do?” “Could we have done anything better?” “Where do we go from here?” 

 

D. What evidence shows effectiveness of the program:

XX’s collaborating partner, LA Voice, has had numerous successes as a result of community organizing. Examples of these successes include the One-Stop Gower Street Project (a Hollywood one-stop permanent supportive housing development); the Ya Es Hora campaign which increased Latino citizenship applications by over 116% in the Los Angeles; and the Los Angeles Children’s Health Initiative which provides low-cost health insurance for thousands of previously ineligible children in Los Angeles County. The needs in the Long Beach, Hollywood, South Central and Inglewood communities are endless but clearly the effectiveness of community organizing cannot be underestimated and the results can be significant. XX’s presence in underserved and disenfranchised communities gives us a unique opportunity to be a change agent.

 

E. Evaluation indicators and benchmarks:

Evaluation indicators will include: 1) minimally ten (10) members, recruited from XXXX Health Project programs, will be engaged in the process of community health advocacy and organizing; 2) regular local organizing committee meetings (weekly or every other week) will be establish where participants will discuss health concerns, research possible solutions and plan appropriate action to address those concerns. It is during these meetings that participants will learn the advocacy and organizing skills needed to accomplish their goals; 3) at least one advocacy-based campaign is identified by the Jubilee local organizing committee.

 

F. Timeline of implementation:

This project actually has its beginnings in a Health Summit which was co-sponsored by  Consortium and LA Voice. The event was held on July 15 at XXX Episcopal Church in Hollywood. Presenters included: XX of Blessed Sacrament Church; Rev. XX of St. Stephens Episcopal Church and the Consortium; XX of LA Voice; XX of CHAMP; Sandra Trinidad of Alliance for a Better Community; XX of Insure the Uninsured Project; XX of Homeless Health Care Los Angeles; and XX of CAN/NNOC. The collaboration and event went very smoothly with over 60 people in attendance, 12 of whom were Consortium representatives.

 

Currently, we are following on that success and have already begun to discuss with participants of our Health Project Programs our ideas and intentions to engage them in learning about and participating in health advocacy.  We will identify participants to participate in this phase of the Health Project by early spring of 2009.  When those people are indentified, we will begin the process of needs assessment, issue determination, research, training and action planning.  Our goal is to have this process be regular, active and fully functioning by summer of 2009. 

 

G. Risks, limitations and obstacles:

XX’s greatest challenge continues to be the amount of resources and time required to do effective fundraising for the agency. Since XX has few staff, the Executive Director wears many hats in the agency – from program oversight and coordination, to staff management, to community relations and fundraising. As a result, our greatest obstacle is lack of staff to do the extensive and time-consuming work of community organizing.

 

H. Describe collaboration with other agencies:

The XX Consortium will be partnering with PICO/LA Voice during the community organizing process. LA Voice is an interfaith, multicultural 501(c)(3) organization representing 22 religious congregations and over 25,000 families throughout Los Angeles.  Founded in 2000, LA Voice is an institutionally based federation that reflects the region’s diversity, builds community, empowers marginalized people, develops local leaders, and increases participation in the democratic process. LA Voice works ‘bottom up’, focusing its efforts and resources on addressing the issues that emerge from local communities. Other partners may be identified and invited to participate in the program, as appropriate.

 

I. Provide information in chart form:

Key

V.  Staff

      Rev. XX will act as overall Project Director for the Health Project Phase II, giving 25% of his time to provide oversight of the project. As Executive Director, Rev. XX will oversee all project activities, will supervise the Health Project Coordinator, XX, the Hollywood on-site coordinator and project volunteers, will coordinate efforts between LA Voice\PICO and XX, will oversee all administrative and fiscal matters and will serve as liaison to church leadership, parish community and the Consortium Board of Directors.  

      Overall supervision and coordination with other congregational activities at each of the project sites; the Rev. XX and XX will each dedicate 5% of their time to this project. Rev. X is the rector at Holy Faith Church and brings her years of experience in urban and justice ministries to her work with young people and their families at Holy Faith. Rev. XX, the rector at St. Stephens and Rev. XX will also provide coordination and oversight of project activities at their churches.  The parish rectors will be responsible for communication and coordination within their congregations and with other entities within their communities.

      The Board of Directors and staff of the Consortium have extensive advocacy and faith-based community organizing experience. Each Board member participates on several peace and justice, community-organizing, and task force groups and organizations. Several members have over 15 years of community-organizing and advocacy experience. The church leadership understands that they can all help to improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve through coordinated, collaborative efforts and community organizing.

      Volunteer roles for this project will include the following:  the above mentioned Board of Directors in a supervisorial role; the Program Committee of the Consortium in helping to design, implement and evaluate the program; the participants themselves in engaging in the process of community organizing.

      The following people will be responsible for evaluating the success of the program:  the Executive Director, XX; the Health Project Coordinator, XX; the Community Organizers from LA Voice/PICO who will be collaborating with us; and members of XX Consortium’s Program Committee. We will not be using any consultants for this project beyond the assistance of LA Voice and we will not be hiring any new staff.

 

VI. Evaluation

Simply stated, the evaluation of XX Health Project Phase II will be measured by whether the Consortium was able to meet its objectives within the designated time lines.  A longer term evaluation is whether the campaign was successful in achieving the desired goal, i.e., a Farmers Market in the community, a community park, or a neighborhood garden, to name a few possibilities.

 

VII. Budget

A. Submit a separate line item project budget in Excel that includes costs of the program:

See attached.

 

B. Budget narrative that provides a description and justification by line item:

See attached.

 

C. Other Funding Sources:

The Consortium received 2006 and 2007 funding for the XX Health Project from: QueensCare Charitable Division $30,000; Kaiser Permanente $40,000; UniHealth Foundation $25,000; Weingart Foundation $75,000 (2 years); and several Los Angeles parishes.

D. Explain how you will sustain the program beyond the life of UniHealth’s grant:

The Consortium is embarking on an aggressive fundraising campaign for all program areas, including the Health Project Phase II. The Consortium is seeking sources of funding through other foundations, special events, additional parish partnerships, and new individual donors. We have already been successful in raising almost $10,000 from “House Parties” in the past year. The Board of Directors gives significant donations to the agency annually.

 

 

 

Political and Community Advocacy Grant - Capacity Building

 

Request for Funding

to

The California Endowment

 

 

Our Request:

 

XX is working diligently to solve the housing crisis in Los Angeles through an aggressive development schedule, and building as much permanent affordable housing as possible in the shortest amount of time. Beyond that, the management at XX also works extensively advocating for new ‘affordable housing-friendly’ policies and legislation, specifically related to homeless individuals and families living with mental illness.  Because of the uniqueness of developing permanent supportive housing, XX has encountered a number of policies and programs that make it more difficult to create affordable housing opportunities for the most vulnerable.  As public awareness of the need to “do something” about the increasing homeless problem, particularly in South Los Angeles (SPA 6) where there is a dearth of capacity but has the second highest number of homeless people, XX, and in particular its leadership, is committed to finding solutions by advocating for additional resources and appropriate legislation and policy-making. XX is requesting $464,109 from The California Endowment for 18 months to underwrite the costs associated with our intent to lay a foundation for a new comprehensive service delivery model to our residents in partnership with other service providers in SPA 6 and our advocacy and policy-setting work.

 

Background and Needs:

 

The lack of affordable housing in Los Angeles City and County impacts nearly every segment of our community, from the elderly to children, middle class earners to low-income families, across racial and ethnic backgrounds.  In particular, the need for permanent supportive housing has reached a crisis point.  The greater Los Angeles area has a higher rate of homelessness than any other U.S. locality. The 2005 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count reported 82,291 homeless people in the City of Los Angeles. 49% (or 34,512) are considered chronically homeless, 34% are identified as having a mental illness, and 79% have a disabling condition which includes a physical/mental disability or a substance abuse problem.  The ‘2005 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count’ reported that 34 – 40% of greater Los Angeles’ homeless individuals identified themselves as having mental health and/or substance abuse problems.

 

Research suggests that supportive housing services offer an effective solution to homelessness, especially for populations with chronic conditions. Key findings show that supportive services to people in housing have proven effective in achieving residential stability, improving physical and mental health, and reducing the costs of homelessness and emergency health care to the community. Supportive housing helps residents remain stable and address the problems that lead to their homelessness. The integration and coordination of resident services from several specialized providers working as a team ensures that each resident has access to the particular support he or she needs to stay housed, with the greatest possible level of independence. Supportive housing provides a stable alternative to life on the streets, and integrated, coordinated services facilitate access and provide an economical alternative to the fragmented care that most homeless people tend to receive. Supportive housing is also cost effective.  A study by The Lewin Group released in November 2004 indicated that the average cost of providing supportive housing per person per day in Los Angeles was $30, versus $1,474 per day in a hospital, $607 per day in a mental hospital or $85 per day in prison.

 

More specific to the needs of XX’s residents is the lack of available and free or low-cost medical care. XX depends solely on referrals to other agencies for diagnostic and treatment services for its residents. Our vision is to initiate a pilot program at our Santos Apartments and 39 West Apartments in South Los Angeles, integrating and providing mental health, case management, substance abuse recovery and treatment, and medical services to the residents permanently housed at these apartments. Santos Plaza Apartments is presently being leased up and will house 36 homeless individuals living with mental illness. 39 West Apartments contains 34 studio units for formerly homeless, dually-diagnosed individuals. Once funds are secured and roles defined, the services will be provided by a collaborative of nonprofit agencies: African American Alcohol and Other Drug Council (SSG-HOPICS) an affiliate of Special Services for Groups; Lamp Community; and T.H.E. Clinic.  Each agency will hire appropriate staff to perform their role in the partnership. ACOF will spearhead ongoing meetings with the collaborative members to define roles and responsibilities, strategize funding and sustainability plans, and advocate for increase homeless services in South Los Angeles.  At the end of our proposed 18 month project, XX and its partners will have formulated a strategy for meeting these goals.  This integration of programs, closing the gap in the continuum of services to this underserved group, will serve as a pilot program and a model for future collaborations throughout Los Angeles County.

 

  Services will include:

• Permanent housing that is affordable (maximum of 30% of resident’s income)

• Primary care medical services provided by an FQHC including diagnoses and treatment services

• Mental health/behavioral health services

• Independent living skills training

• Substance abuse assessment and treatment

• Case management

• Benefits counseling

 

Proposal:

 

XX is seeking funding to form a Collaborative to increase health services and housing for mentally ill homeless in Service Planning Area 6 (SPA 6) of Los Angeles County.  The goal of this Collaborative is threefold:  (1) to develop a financing and service delivery model for permanent supportive housing for homeless adults with mental illness that includes not only affordable housing, case management services, mental health services, and substance abuse recovery, but also primary health care; (2) to secure funding from multiple sources to sustain the work of the Collaborative and the services provided by each member of the Collaborative; and (3) to advocate for policies to increase health services and affordable housing for homeless individuals living with mental illness.  The geographic area targeted is South Los Angeles (or SPA 6).

 

As the lead agency in this Collaborative, XX seeks to secure resources to fund planning and start-up, collaboration among our partners, policy development and advocacy so that we can effectively and successfully pursue city, county and/or State funding in a systematic manner to increase capacity for supportive housing in South Los Angeles and ultimately, to improve health and mental health outcomes for homeless people in South Los Angeles.  The purpose of the Collaborative is to prove, that with the right partnerships, an effective and seamless funding and service delivery model can be secured and replicated by other agencies seeking to serve homeless adults with special needs.

 

In forming the Collaborative, XX proposes to organize monthly meetings over the next 18 months to solidify the Collaborative, define roles and responsibilities, and to hire a Project Coordinator to assist in planning and coordination of the Collaborative’s work.  The monthly meetings will be attended by the leadership/management staff of the partner agencies.  

 

As part of our work, we will identify legislation and policies at all levels of government that are barriers to our ability to deliver a seamless service delivery model in South Los Angeles.  We will identify and document the various funding streams that are available to each partner and strategize opportunities to coordinate the funding for our pilot project (Santos Plaza and 39 West).  We will review all relevant funding opportunities at the City, County, State and federal level for applicability to the Collaborative and collectively address the policy issues that may arise.  

 

Although each partner in the Collaborative has strong ties to their respective constituencies and communities, we intend to link our advocacy work with existing organizations doing similar work to project an even more powerful advocacy position.  Two organizations in particular are Corporation for Supportive Housing and United Homeless Healthcare Providers.  We also believe that the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH), the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness, Housing California, and Shelter Partnership will be strong allies for the Collaborative.   

 

XX has been very successful in the past two decades securing the various funding streams necessary for the construction, operation and services model of our permanent supportive housing developments.  We have also learned to supplement our service delivery through partnerships with like-minded local social service agencies in the areas where our buildings are located.  Increasing, as resources become scarcer and the need grows greater, we have sought partnerships to not only maintain but to improve service delivery to our residents.  In South Los Angeles, where we have three buildings as well as another two in the Willowbrook area, we believe we have identified some of the key providers in the respective areas of mental health services, substance abuse recovery, primary health care, and case management support. 

 

Once the Collaborative creates systems such as setting up resident files, designing pre- post tests, identifying staffing, developing budgets, defining each agency’s roles, and identifying funding, the entire program can be ‘packaged’ and implemented in other similar settings.  XX would like utilize this program in more of its special needs buildings in order to better serve its residents. Beyond that, the model can be used by other affordable housing developers who are interested in serving dually diagnosed and/or mentally ill residents. Each of the partnership agencies are well-known in the community and participate in numerous coalitions, task forces, Board of Directors, panels as speakers, and sit on advisory committees. As a result, communicating the successes of this program to the nonprofit community would be fairly easy. A more formalized process, such as writing a paper or manual to be presented to nonprofit housing developers and their partners, could also be utilized to communicate this model.

 

XX proposes to join forces with the following organizations in the Collaborative: Special Services for Groups/Homeless Outreach and Integrated Care Systems (SSG/HOPICS); Lamp Community; and T.H.E. Clinic. The Collaborative is new, however, XX has an established relationship (an executed Memorandum of Understanding) with Lamp Community, who provides services at one of XX’s properties near Downtown Los Angeles.  We are currently looking for a new site to co-develop.  XX staff has also attended meetings of a collaborative called African American Alcohol and Other Disorders (AAAOD) of which SSG facilitates.  SSG and XX are currently exploring opportunities to co-develop.  Additionally, the Executive Director of XX and the Chair of AAAOD have worked together previously in the 1990s. XX’s relationship with T.H.E. Clinic is fairly new.  Both agencies are part of the Reclaim Western Avenue Coalition formed by the North Area Neighborhood Development Council to address nuisance issues along Western Avenue between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Exposition Boulevard.     

 

XX’s work will support the California Endowment’s “Access to Health” Initiative threefold.  First, we are designing a collaborative that will serve the comprehensive service needs of its residents, including medical care.  Second, XX will be improving the effectiveness of health systems as well as providing a model for the effective coordination of those health services. Third, XX and the Collaborative’s advocacy work will focus on policy changes at the local, regional and state levels and will seek to improve how health services are delivered.

 

Objectives and Outcomes:

 

The Grant Objectives will include the following:

1)Create service partnerships/collaborative and define roles and responsibilities to develop a permanent supportive housing project for the homeless mentally ill and to increase homeless services in South Los Angeles;

2)Secure ongoing state, federal, Los Angeles City and County funding for a supportive housing program in SPA 6 through applications to Homeless Prevention Initiative, etc.;

3)Identify and pursue policy efforts to increase the pool of resources available for supportive housing and decrease the fragmentation of funding for supportive housing;

4)Work collaboratively with the Corporation for Supportive Housing and United Homeless Healthcare Providers, SCANPH, and other stakeholders to advocate for health services integration and supportive housing for homeless populations;

5)Participate in an evaluation of the project through the collection of data and reporting as outlined by The Endowment evaluation consultant.

 

The Grant Outcomes will include the following:

1)Leaders of the collaborative agencies will meet at least monthly during the 18 months to define roles, design programming, and identify funding sources for future health and mental health services to XX residents in SPA 6, which can be used as a model for other supportive housing programs in Los Angeles.

2)The Collaborative will identify a lead agency for each Homeless Prevention Initiative RFP released, as well as other applicable funding opportunities, and apply for the funding as appropriate within the required deadlines.

3)The partnership, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as Corporation for Supportive Housing and United Homeless Healthcare Providers, as well as Housing California, SCANPH, LA Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness, and Shelter Partnership, will identify or address at least three (3) policies or legislation which will increase access to funding for supportive housing services and/or increase the pool of resources available to develop supportive housing.

4)XX and the leadership of the other Collaborative partners will meet with eight (8)   SPA 6 elected officials, as well as City, County, State and Federal agencies to advocate for supportive housing “friendly” legislation and policies; 50% of those elected officials will make a commitment of support towards our recommended policies and legislation.

5)XX and our partners will work with The California Endowment’s consultant in designing an evaluation method and will participate in the collection of data and reporting during the 18 months grant period.

 

Evaluation:

 

The California Endowment has offered to hire an evaluation consultant for this project during the 18 month grant period. S/he will assist in designing, participating, collecting data, and reporting on the milestones and outcomes of this proposal.

 

Once the outcomes during the 18 months have been achieved, XX intends to set up evaluative systems for the collaborative services that will be provided for residents of its two South Los Angeles buildings. Since this program will be new and involves the collaboration of several agencies, new systems will be devised to address the specific focus of these services and these residents. Pre- and post tests and surveys will be designed and utilized; resident files will include progress notes as they relate to housing stabilization, socialization, medical and psychiatric health and treatment plans, personal goals, and self-care issues. Case managers and representatives from each of the collaborative partners will meet regularly to discuss residents, including progress made or interventions needed.

 

Statistics will be compiled and used for evaluating the program. XX, as the lead agency, intends to oversee this process through the use of a Project Director. Of particular interest will be the statistics showing reduced use of services such as hospitalizations, crisis intervention teams, law enforcement intervention, and actual attendance of residents to their medical appointments (a serious and significant issue for this population). These compiled and analyzed statistics will assist in ‘value added’ determinations, and hopefully, show cost savings in serving this historically underserved and difficult to stabilize group of individuals.

 

Organizational Capacity:

XX was founded in 1988 with the goal of developing housing for individuals and families with special needs. For over 18 years we have been successful in creating safe, attractive, independent living environments for homeless and mentally ill individuals. XX's mission is to develop affordable housing and to collaborate with community-based service agencies for the purpose of offering our residents a variety of on-site supportive services.  XX is considered the premiere developer of supportive housing for persons with mental illness in Southern California, many of whom were formerly homeless. While our core mission remains to develop housing for people with special needs, we are also responsive to the current housing market. The overwhelming demand for affordable housing in Los Angeles has compelled us to expand our development objectives; we now offer a variety of housing including apartments for low-income families with special needs, senior citizens, emancipated foster youth, and those unable to secure decent housing for a reasonable portion of their household budget. Our housing model requires that each supportive housing project have available on-site supportive services, provided either by our own staff or in partnership with community-based mental health agencies.

XX has completed 29 apartment buildings, 24 of which are still in our own portfolio. Of this number, 22 buildings, totaling over 700 units, are for our target population. 100% of the people we serve are below 60% of the median income, with the vast majority below 35%.   To date, 75% of XX’s residents have remained stable in housing for over two years, with another 54% remaining housed for over five years. Additionally, XX typically builds in areas needing revitalization, thereby, removing blight, reducing gang activities and crime, and motivating residents towards improving the neighborhoods where XX builds.  XX has an aggressive development production schedule, allowing for both financial stability for the agency through development fees, and continued presence and revitalization of the communities where it builds. XX's impact therefore is both at the level of housing and empowering over 1,000 formerly homeless, mentally ill, and low-income households towards self-sufficiency, as well as positively influencing our community as we find solutions to Los Angeles' affordable housing crises.

XX will be completing and opening ten additional developments totaling approximately 484 rental units of affordable housing in the next three years.  The projects range from 7 units to 150 units, and are located in Willowbrook, South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, North Hills, Santa Monica, Westlake/MacArthur Park, Pacoima, and Silver Lake. 

 

Many of XX’s developments have won awards for their architectural designs and asset management successes. A few of these awards include: 2006 SCANPH Project of the Year for Special Needs Housing – Gateways Apartments; 2005 Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Award; 2004 Productivity and Quality Award from the County of Los Angeles for Step Out Apartments; 2003 Metlife Foundation Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing for Vista Nueva; 2000 Gold Nugget Award for Best Apartment over 4-stories, Vista Nueva Apartments; 1999 Meritorious Achievement Award for Del Mar Apartments; 1998 Maxwell Award of Excellence from the Fannie Mae Foundation; 1997 Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing Project of the Year for the Gower Street Apartments; and 1996 Metropolitan Life Foundation Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing for Selby Hotel.  XX has one of the most ambitious affordable housing development schedules in Los Angeles, with ten properties in various stages of predevelopment and construction or in escrow.

Dora X, who will lead this effort, is the Chief Executive Officer and joined XX in February 2003.  As CEO, Ms. X is responsible for leading XX’s efforts in project development, asset management, residential services, advocacy and fundraising.  Prior to joining XX, she served as Chief of Staff for Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas (now a State Senator).  With 12 years in the public sector, Ms. X comes to XX with experience in housing policy, redevelopment, planning and entitlements, environmental quality, public art, advocacy, government affairs, and constituent development.  Ms. X holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Furthermore, ACOF’s management team has all been employed by XX for a minimum of three years, many of whom have tenure ranging from 5 to 11 years.

 

 

Risk Analysis:

 

While XX is confident that we will be able to achieve the objectives and outcomes outlined in this proposal, we do recognize that there are possible barriers to our efforts.  For instance, overcoming the structural and policy issues within governmental agencies that keep funding fragmented will not be an easy task.  The City, County, State and Federal agencies frequently do not communicate with each other much less seek out input from relevant stakeholders. Partnering with other like-minded organizations will be critically important (e.g. United Homeless Healthcare Providers at the City and County level and Corporation for Supportive Housing at the State and national level).

 

If we are unable to raise other revenue, it will slow our momentum and affect our ability to seize the moment.  Some of objectives might still be met, such as defining roles and responsibilities of the Collaborative and securing some of the funding, but our work will continue to be fragmented and not seamless among the partner agencies.  As a result, we may compete with each other unnecessarily. 

 

Sustainability: Each of the agencies in the collaborative has significant expertise, subsidies, and reimbursement and funding streams.  Funding from The California Endowment for 18 months will provide time to research other potential funding sources for future programming.  During the 18 months, the Collaborative will seek funding to underwrite the costs of the staff members and operational costs through foundations, government resources, and reimbursement funds. Available sources of income include Department of Mental Health through the Mental Health Services Act.  At least two partners in this Collaborative, SSG-HOPICS and T.H.E. Clinic, receive cost-based reimbursement for their services.  Lamp Community is pursuing certification now and expects to be eligible for reimbursement funds in Spring 2007. XX receives unrestricted developer fees and has secured over $200 million in financing and rental subsidies from a variety of funding sources.  Additionally, SSG-HOPICS has numerous alcohol and drug treatment agencies in their network which receive significant County money which can be accessed and coordinated for this purpose.

 

The County of Los Angeles (Homeless and Housing Program Fund) will be publishing RFPs for permanent supportive housing and homeless support services in Spring of 2012. By accessing all available fiscal resources during this 18 month period, XX and its partners anticipates sustaining the program long into the future.  Additionally, all partners in this Collaborative have strong community and political relationships, and if the program performs as anticipated, political buy-in will be even easier to obtain. The program will permanently house homeless individuals, thereby taking them off the streets where they have been neglected for far too long.  It will also reduce City and County costs for emergency health and law enforcement services.  Once the effectiveness of this program is demonstrated, both political and financial support is expected and should be readily available.