MHCH TEAMS
ASHA (Affordable/Supportive Housing Advocates) Team
Enjoy this 10 minute video from our 2020
annual event describing the ASHA committee.
In 2018, this subcommittee successfully advocated for the approval of 69 units of permanent supportive housing (PHS) for unhoused seniors at Heritage Square South after a nine-month campaign. On Dec 17th, 2018, the City Council not only approved these units, Mayor Tornek surprised everyone with his recommendation to use the vacant city-own YWCA for homeless housing. This historic landmark was designed by the famous architect Julia Morgan (who also designed the Hearst Castle), which has not yet materialized, but the property across the street, which was offered as part of city proposal, has been secured by National Core and they will be building 106 senior affordable units.
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As of June 2023, we are excited to report that Heritage Square South is scheduled to be complete in early 2024, along with 65 units at the Hope Center on the Salvation Army campus (also PHS) making it possible for 134 of homeless individuals among the 556 counted in Pasadena will obtain housing.
MHCH’s ASHA is partnering with congregations in Pasadena, Abundant Housing, Faith Partnership to End Homelessness, and Union Station Homeless Services. ASHA supported the Safe Parking Committee which successfully made safe parking a permitted use for 69 congregations in non-residential zones in Pasadena. Safe parkers were effective advocates. ASHA also worked with the Congregational Land Committee to have an overlay zone to allow congregations to have affordable housing built on their underutilized land in Pasadena After limited success locally, and working with 300 organizations throughout the state, this team helped to pass SB 4, which rezoned all religious land for affordable housing on their underutilized land. Other teams that we have now put to bed have successfully worked on policy, For example our ADU committee worked to pass state policy making ADU’s legal. There is a long list of pass accomplishments you can find here: https://www.makinghousinghappen.org/successes
If you are interested in joining this effort, contact Anthony Manousos at anthony@makinghousinghappen.org.
Safe Parking Team
This committee exists to support our current MHCH Safe Parking programs through evaluating and upholding best practice principles, and to spread our model of Safe Parking Program throughout the San Gabriel Valley by identifying and setting up new host sites (primarily on church properties) in the San Gabriel Valley area.
Safe Parking is a free night-time parking program for people living in their vehicles while on a pathway to securing stable housing. Safe parking programs provide case management, a paid security company, and restroom facilities, and may provide additional services. In addition to case management, our Pasadena Safe Parking site at Trinity Lutheran also hosts monthly fellowship potlucks, provides for hotels during holidays, access to food, referrals and more.
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Pastor Sharon Richter of Trinity Lutheran Church was committed to hosting those living in their cars in her church parking lot. She began a pilot program before it became a permitted use. Working with members of the ASHA team, she and her parkers successfully advocated for making safe parking a permitted use for 69 congregations in non-residential zones in Pasadena. Safe parkers shared their stories and were extremely effective advocates. To witness those experiencing homelessness play such a significant role was beautiful.
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If you know of people who need this service, contact Catherine Cheung at catherine@foothillunitycenter.org.
In Los Angeles County over 15,700 persons were living in 9,100 vehicles (cars, vans, campers, and R.V.s) each night, according to the January 2018 L.A. County Homeless Count. Vehicle dwellers represent over 25% of the population of people experiencing homelessness in LA County. In SPA 3 (San Gabriel Valley), as of 2023, 206 people are living in their cars in SPA and 136 live in vans.
The MHCH Safe Parking program partners with Foothill Unity Center for program coordination and case management. The Safe Parking Program has housed seven parkers since it opened its first lot in 2021.
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San Gabriel Valley Community Land Trust
The San Gabriel Valley Community Land Trust was started by MHCH and now has become an indepedent nonprofit with close tties to our organization. http://sangabrielvalleyclt.org/
