The Pasadena Community Foundation to Fund Local Supportive Homeless Housing

The Pasadena Community Foundation will provide grants to the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army Pasadena for new permanent supportive housing in Pasadena for people experiencing homelessness.

“Planning for this grant initiative was underway prior to the COVID-19 crisis. With the economic fallout from the pandemic expected to last for years, these projects are more critical than ever to address current and future needs,” said PCF President and CEO Jennifer DeVoll.

According to the latest homeless count, as many as 527 people experience homelessness in Pasadena every night.

“These grants extend our funding from emergency shelter to longer term solutions like permanent supportive housing, which is one of the most effective tools to break the cycle of homelessness,” DeVoll said.

The PCF worked closely with the city’s housing office to evaluate the city’s current needs and assess how funds from PCF could be used to the greatest impact.

Ultimately the PCF decided to support two projects in different stages of development. Grants from the PCF will funds to add an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) to a local home being renovated to house women experiencing homelessness with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.

The foundation will also provide a major gift to the Salvation Army Pasadena’s new Hope Center project, a mixed-use, multi-level building to be constructed on their current site that will include housing units for men experiencing high-acuity homelessness, an expanded food bank, and social services delivery space.

PCF staff and Board members with executive director Mark Van Lue at the site of one of SGV Habitat for Humanity’s Pasadena builds

“The common theme we heard throughout our assessment process was the straightforward need for more long-term housing for people experiencing homelessness,” said DeVoll. “This grant initiative will move us closer to that goal through collaboration with the City of Pasadena and two partner organizations with the experience and opportunity to provide these effective solutions in our community.”