CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Albert Hernandez
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Patrick Garney
President
Deborah Weirick
President-Elect
Carol Nunez
Vice President
Alex Parajon
Treasurer
Joylene Wagner
Secretary
Jessa Freemyer
Immediate Past President
Amanda Adams
Romik Hacobian
Todd Leonard
Steve Mora
Crystal Nathaniel
Brian Volpei
Dr. William Wang
David A. Zuckerman
ADVISORY BOARD
Michael Cusumano
Paula Devine
Sam Jr & Kathryn Engel
Laura Friedman
Jennifer Smith Greene
Debbie Kukta
Lynn Kronzek
Barbara Lazar
Hon. Harry Leon
Elizabeth Manasserian
Zizette Mullins
Laurie & Pat Patterson
Sen. Anthony Portantino
Rev. Ross Purdy
Marsha Ramos
Jess & Sandy Talamantes
Sandra Thompson
PO Box 7151
Burbank, CA 91510
Administrative Office: 818.562.7778
www.homeagainla.org
Tax ID# 26-2458342
Ending Homelessness, One Family at a Time
July 28, 2022
City of Burbank Public Information Office
Attention: Simone McFarland
150 North Third Street
Burbank, CA 91502
Dear Ms. McFarland,
The following letter is being sent to you to express Home Again L.A.’s interest in collaborating with the City of Burbank regarding the city-owned vacant property located at 2244 North Buena Vista Street. We would very much love the opportunity to be the next tenant in this facility as it will provide ample space to provide existing Home Again L.A. programs along with new programs that focus on the needs of the community evolving around homelessness and prevention of homelessness.
For twelve years Home Again LA has been operating from a two-bedroom/two- bathroom apartment unit. Twelve years ago we started the organization with two employees working with 40 households per year, today we are now a team of 15 employees helping over 600 households per year. Nearly 75% of the households are our very own residents of Burbank seeking shelter or supportive services. We have expanded our services to be inclusive of those experiencing homelessness and those at-risk of homelessness. We are honored to be able to have the programming, staffing, and resources to assist our communities most vulnerable and poor, but, with lack of space it presents challenges. When this facility became available I quickly focused my attention on the process because I am very familiar with the set up as I worked in that building my entire high school and college years; the space is ideal for Home Again LA. It allows us to operate all our services under one roof while also allowing us to implement programs that are needed in our community; which our application will elaborate on.
From my perspective Home Again LA is a vital resource to our community. They are a resource who provides hope and motivation to our residents. The staff are committed to the mission, they have worked tirelessly throughout the past twelve years, and were at the office each day during the pandemic. They never gave up on their clients and continued to be the beacon of hope we all needed. Above all, Home Again LA has been leveraging funding outside of Burbank to bring to our community. We have unique and strong relationships with partners throughout the county and those relationships are what has helped stabilize our community.
ATTACHMENT 1-1
ATTACHMENT 1
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Albert Hernandez
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Patrick Garney
President
Deborah Weirick
President-Elect
Carol Nunez
Vice President
Alex Parajon
Treasurer
Joylene Wagner
Secretary
Jessa Freemyer
Immediate Past President
Amanda Adams
Romik Hacobian
Todd Leonard
Steve Mora
Crystal Nathaniel
Brian Volpei
Dr. William Wang
David A. Zuckerman
ADVISORY BOARD
Michael Cusumano
Paula Devine
Sam Jr & Kathryn Engel
Laura Friedman
Jennifer Smith Greene
Debbie Kukta
Lynn Kronzek
Barbara Lazar
Hon. Harry Leon
Elizabeth Manasserian
Zizette Mullins
Laurie & Pat Patterson
Sen. Anthony Portantino
Rev. Ross Purdy
Marsha Ramos
Jess & Sandy Talamantes
Sandra Thompson
PO Box 7151
Burbank, CA 91510
Administrative Office: 818.562.7778
www.homeagainla.org
Tax ID# 26-2458342
Ending Homelessness, One Family at a Time
As I look forward to the coming months, all I can think about are the challenges that we are facing. Cost of living continues to increase, apartment units have increase tremendously in the past seven years from $1450/month for a one bedroom to now $2100/month for a one bedroom. Cost of food continues to increase. Gas has gone up significantly. What our community needs is a reliable organization that is open to the public who can provide ideas, solutions, and advocacy. Home Again LA has provided that and continues to look for ways to be of service to the community. This facility will allow us to tackle these issues.
Our background in working with government entities is extensive. Since 2014 we have worked with various levels of government to operate programming that focuses on homeless services. That experience includes working with the cities of Burbank and Glendale by implementing homeless service program funded by Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Solutions Grants, CoronaVirus Grants, among others. We have experience in government grant writing, tracking & reporting projected outcomes, and participating in both monitoring & auditing by local government and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Home Again LA has experience in utilizing the Homeless Management Information System, a countywide database that is utilized to track those experiencing homelessness and viewing the services they received. In the cities of Burbank and Glendale, Home Again LA is labeled an entry point for homeless families with children.
Beyond the city grants we have partnered and implemented programming with the Los Angeles County Development Authority when we operated a $2 million homeless prevention program. In the past two years we partnered with the State of California to implement the Housing Is Key program in which we were able to cultivate over $3 million to bring to the residents in our region for eviction prevention services. And lastly, we have been operating a federal grant since 2017 for chronically homeless families. Through all these government grants we have learned reporting requirements and budget management. Our experitise comes with understanding the importance of updating our annual SAMS number, filing our annual form 990 and other relevant work that needs to happen on the administrative level. As you can see our experience in collaborating with government is strong and we hope to be able to include City of Burbank and the Buena Vista property on our list of successful endeavors that make positive change.
We are greatly appreciative to have this opportunity to submit our application to be a candidate for the former Boys & Girls Club property.
Albert Hernandez
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
Office: 818.562.7778
ATTACHMENT 1-2
City of Burbank
Request for Proposal – Proposed Lease to Non-Profit (2244 N Buena Vista St) Scope of Work
Home Again LA, formerly Family Promise of the Verdugos
I. Non-Profit Background
a. Type of service provided
Home Again LA (HALA), formerly Family Promise of the Verdugos, is a local 501©3 nonprofit organization focusing on homeless and at-risk of homelessness services. We offer five core programs including:
i. Shelter – HALA assists first time homeless families with children by providing up to 90 days of shelter. We leverage our partnerships with local congregations who provide overnight hospitality and meals during the evening hours. During the morning and afternoon families have access to the HALA Day Center where they may utilize showers, laundry facilities, a resource room with computers, and meet with their dedicated and trained case managers. The program has been in existence since 2010 and has helped nearly 1,000 of our region’s homeless families. In recent years we have averaged serving 150 homeless families with many being referred to Home Again LA by the City of Burbank, Burbank Unified School District, and area nonprofits.
b. Rapid Rehousing – Since 2017 we have offered a rapid rehousing program that expedites the turnaround for families to return to permanent housing.
Rapid rehousing is an innovative program led by a team including a Case Manager, Housing Navigator and Housing Stabilizer. Our team helps secure employment and increase household income for the families. Next we search for apartment units that will fit the means of the family’s annual household income. We advocate on behalf of the family when communicating with the landlord. Once a unit is secured we support the family with up to six months of rental subsidies. The family will utilize 30% of their monthly income to pay the rent and Home Again LA pays the balance. As each month passes we decrease our portion, and the family increases their portion. The idea is to provide the family the resources needed to increase the household’s income so by the sixth month the family is fully independent.
c. Homeless Prevention Aid – HALA assists households who are in jeopardy of losing their home. This may be due to a loss of job, loss of income and even loss of spouse. We support households with case management and monetary support. In recent years we have supported the City of Burbank with the coronavirus rental assistance program helping assess the households needs and distribution of funding. In 2020-2022 we collaborated with the State of California (Housing is Key program) to assist Burbank households who were impacted financially by the Coronavirus pandemic. We were able to leverage over $3 million to support Burbank residents and landlords, 50 of which were residents living in Burbank Housing Corporation units. This current fiscal year we have been able to leverage funding outside of Burbank, through the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, to support Burbank households who are facing financial hardship.
ATTACHMENT 1-3
d. Transitional Housing - In partnership with the City of Burbank and the Burbank Housing Corporation we offer transitional housing for chronically homeless families. Families are referred to our agency by Burbank Housing Corporation along with the School District. Upon referring a family to us, our staff screen, assess, and provide intensive case management. If approved families are provided up to 24 months of transitional housing while receiving counseling to prepare them for permanent housing and financial stability. The goal of the program is to provide shelter and supportive services for the families who are facing high barriers as they strive to become independent. e. Educational Workshops – HALA offers educational workshops for all residents in Burbank. We focus on Burbank households that are identified as low-income, but we welcome all households interested in gaining access to our workshops on financial planning/budgeting, attaining employment, and life skills. By providing this program we have been able to prevent households from losing their home because of securing employment and increasing income. We have included educational programs on homeownership to help give Burbank renters a strong sense of hope and opportunity to build wealth through homeownership .
b. Experience, particularly within Burbank
Home Again LA has been serving the Burbank community since 2010. The organization provides a plethora of services as indicated above. Our experience includes working closely with organizations throughout our Service Planning Area (SPA 2). At present when a household is experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness, Home Again LA is the leading agency in our community in which many are in search of assistance and referrals. Home Again LA has an extensive reach of partners who can provide resources for households in need. We have built a network of partners who we leverage resources from to help our Burbank residents.
Our connections include representatives from the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services, Los Angeles Housing Service Authority, among others.
c. Length of time in Burbank
Home Again L.A. has been serving the Burbank community since we opened our doors in July 2010.
d. Community served; include statistics i.e., number of community members assisted for each program
Home Again LA provides services to Burbank homeless families with children and Burbank households on the verge of homelessness. We also provide support to those in Glendale and neighboring communities; with a higher concentration being Burbank based. Over the course of the last 12 month’s HALA had the following impact:
i. 203 homeless families were provided shelter and supportive services leading to permanent housing. Of the 203 homeless families 149 were Burbank based families,
ATTACHMENT 1-4
ii. 431 households (individuals and families) were provided rental assistance to prevent homelessness. Of the 431 households 387 were Burbank based families,
iii. 98 Burbank households participated in our Educational Workshops; a service that includes connecting residents to supportive services and employment. e. Non-profit partners
Home Again LA collaborates with various non-profit partners to help households achieve their goals. Each non-profit partner provides a service that makes the households experience smoother during a difficult time. i. Boys & Girls Club – we partner with this non-profit to provide free after-school and summer camp programs for children experiencing homelessness; ii. Burbank Temporary Aid Center – we partner with this non-profit by referring households that we have placed into housing. By referring these families to BTAC it allows the households to redirect their income on other expenses until the household is 100% financially stable;
iii. Burbank Housing Corporation – we support the clients of Burbank Housing Corporation by providing resources. We also assist our families in applying for Burbank Housing Corporation apartment units. Together we support three families living in the Jerry’s Promise transitional housing program in Burbank. iv. San Fernando Rescue Mission – we work alongside this non-profit to secure shelter beds for homeless families who need shelter. While this non-profit provides a bed, Home Again LA will continue to provide the case management to get the family back into housing.
v. Verdugo Job Center – we refer individuals to this non-profit to learn about employment opportunities in our community. This non-profit helps clients with job leads, resume building, and in return they refer potential clients for our homeless services.
vi. UMe Federal Credit Union – we partner with UMe Federal Credit Union to help our families open bank accounts. Many of our families join us with no bank account; especially our families who are fleeing domestic violence. They want to start fresh without any connection with their former partner and this partnership provides the opportunity.
vii. Burbank Community YMCA – since opening our doors the Burbank Community YMCA has provided our families with a free membership during a family’s stay in our shelter. This membership allows families to utilize the gym and showers. viii. Comprehensive Community Health Centers (CCHC) – our partnership with CCHC provides our clients with free free medical care health screening, vaccines, eye exams, dental, mental health services, and transportation. ix. Didi Hirsch – we refer clients to Didi Hirsch for mental health services. x. Department of Public Social Services – our partnership relies on D.P.S.S. to provide our homeless clients with up to 28 days of motel vouchers so our clients have somewhere to sleep while we assist them with housing navigation. In addition, we utilize DPSS’s security deposit program. For households who are low-income they qualify for security deposit funds if Home Again LA has enrolled the household into our Rapid Rehousing program. This is an essential collab because many if not all households do not have enough for a security deposit.
ATTACHMENT 1-5
xi. G.A.I.N. (Greater Avenues for Independence) – GAIN is a subsidiary of D.P.S.S., who provides job training, purchases work uniforms for family members who secure employment and funding for transportation to and from job appointments. Lastly, GAIN also provides funding for childcare, which is important as many of our clients over the years have been single parents who need childcare so they can return to work.
II. Qualifications of Staff (Experience with services provided and background; include fundraising expertise)
a. Executive staff
i. Albert Hernandez, CEO
Albert has filled the role of CEO at Home Again LA for seven years; prior to joining our organization he spent his time as Vice President at local Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Southern California. Albert was brought in during a time when HALA needed to restructure the organization, most notably reopening the agency after a brief hiatus. He had at the time 14 years of experience in nonprofit management, staff development, marketing, and fundraising. Upon joining the team Albert grew the organization from a $150,000 annual operating budget to $2.6M operating budget. The number of households positively impacted grew from 40 households per year to 643 households in 2021-2022. Albert now has over 20 years of non-profit experience and has placed Home Again LA as a strong and vital entity in our community; an organization that is respected, an organization that is making positive change, and an organization that is sought after for resources, data collection and program management. Albert has been recognized with several awards including a 2017 Visionary Award by the Southern California Leadership Network; Latino Businessman of the Year by Assemblymember Mike Eng; Graduate of Leadership Burbank & Leadership Los Angeles and currently attending Leadership Southern California. Albert has served and continues to serve on various boards in Burbank during his free time. He is fully invested in the city of Burbank beyond Home Again LA. ii. Carrie Prado, Director of Programs
Carrie has been a member of our senior team for five years. She oversees the day-to-day operations, programming, and staffing. Upon joining the organization, she supervised our 90-Day Shelter program in collaboration with local congregations. As the organization grew from one core program to five core programs, she began to oversee the implementation and reporting on all programs. She is a trained case manager and has taken various trainings offered through the Los Angeles Housing Service Authority. She spends her time training staff, researching effective programs throughout the County, problem solving and developing partnerships with nonprofits who can enhance the overall experience of our clients.
iii. Renee Johnson, Fund Development Coordinator
Renee currently is the Fund Development Coordinator at Home Again LA.
She joined the organization in January 2022 to assist with expanding our fundraising efforts. She has been working with private foundations throughout ATTACHMENT 1-6
Los Angeles County in search of funding that we can utilize to provide resources to our community while enhancing the overall impact on those experiencing homelessness. Prior to joining the organization, she spent 14 years working at the Cusumano Real Estate Group overseeing one of the senior living properties; and representing Mr. Michael Cusumano on various boards in Burbank including Leadership Burbank Alumni Association and Burbank Noon Rotary; both of which she served as President. In 2018, Renee was honored with the Women Achievers Award by Business Life Magazine. iv. Jose ‘JP’ Pentecostes, Director of Finance
JP joined the Home Again LA team to fill the role of Director of Finance in 2021. He has shared his knowledge and talents with HALA by monitoring our accounting and invoicing. His background is in accounting specifically for non-profit organizations. He spent over 20 years as a Finance Director for various non-profits most notably ‘A Place Called Home’ in South Los Angeles. He currently oversees the HALA’s accounting, budgeting, and reporting for all government grants.
b. Board members
The Board of Directors is composed of local leaders who support HALA through input regarding governance, strategic planning, and fundraising. Upon recruiting Board members, we look at the community we serve and strive to have representation from the various sectors that make our region. Board members serve a total of four years with each board member committing to serve on one sub-committee (i.e., Audit Committee, Marketing Committee, Finance Committee, etc.). 100% of the board members are monetary donors, and it is expected that they contribute their time, talents and assist with raising funds. Here are a few examples of the individuals that make up our board members:
Board President Patrick Garney represents Nickelodeon Animation Studios; one of Burbank’s major studios who believes in corporate social responsibility through monetary and in-kind contributions.
Board Member Steve Mora represents Metropolitan Culinary Services. Steve’s place of business is a multi-generational business that believes in philanthropy. It is through his organization that we are provided funding and food for families in our program.
Board Member Dr. William Wang is the Chief Medical Officer at Dignity Health Hospital. Dr. Wang’s expertise in the medical field helps us learn about the latest trends in disease prevention while also being a reliable resource for building connections with doctors and clinics that best serve the clients in our program. Dr.
Wang’s place of business is an in-kind and monetary donor.
Board Member Jessa Freemyer is an Executive Manager with Cusumano Real Estate Group. Her experience in property management brings great insight in building a network of property managers to understand the needs of the clients we serve. That knowledge is beneficial to our organization as we develop relationships with landlords to be able to help the homeless members of our community transition back into permanent housing. Jessa has been a longtime member of our community most notably serving on local boards which has helped cultivate partnerships with nonprofits .
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Board Member Pastor Todd Leonard is the lead pastor at Glendale City Church, a congregation that provides housing for our homeless families. He brings great knowledge, expertise, compassion, and a great connection with the faith-based community; the community that helped develop our organization over twelve years ago. Todd’s contributions to our board are significant as he brings back the purpose of the organization as we review potential growth and program opportunities.
Board Member Crystal Nathaniel is a former resident of our shelter. Along with her son Elijah, Crystal experienced homelessness until she moved into our 90-day Shelter. We assisted her in securing an apartment and we provided her with rapid rehousing support. This occurred in 2017. It was three years later when Crystal began making monetary contributions to Home Again LA, as she expressed eagerness to give back. In 2022, Crystal joined our board of directors and can provide that unique experience to help us best serve the community.
c. References
Here is a list of references who can best articulate our organization’s experience and impact:
Sylvia Moreno, Burbank Housing Corporation Director,
[email protected]
Alethia Calagias, Logix Community Relations Director,
[email protected]
Pastor Sam Kim, Burbank First United Methodist Church,
[email protected]
Michael Cusumano, Cusumano Real Estate Group,
[email protected]
Ivet Samvelyan, LAHSA Director of Permanent Housing
[email protected]
III. Proposed Use and Services Offered
a. Proposed facility uses and programs provided at the site include short- and long- range goals
For the past twelve years Home Again LA has been operating out of a two-bedroom / two-bathroom apartment unit owned by the Burbank Housing Corporation. Since 2016 Home Again LA has grown exponentially to best respond to the needs of the community. In our infancy stage we served 40 households per year to now serving over 600 households per year. While we have increased the services we offer and the number of households we support, our space has not. Lack of space has created challenges such as privacy issues. In recent years our organization formed a facilities committee to research potential properties in Burbank that we can lease, however the cost of commercial properties have been astronomical and prevented us from moving into a more adequate space.
If fortunate enough to collaborate with the City of Burbank on the 2244 Buena Vista site we will utilize the facility as our headquarters and move staff and program services to this location. The facility will allow us the opportunity to conduct screening, assessments, program enrollment, and provide confidential one-on-one ATTACHMENT 1-8
counseling, among other services. The facility is in an ideal location for our services as the property is near public transit and has the ideal space for us to operate and conduct all our services with the potential to increase programs .
In our current setup we have had challenges in giving clients the opportunity to meet in a quiet setting with their dedicated case managers due to limited space. When a household comes to Home Again LA to express their situation of homelessness or near homelessness they come to us scared, shy and embarrassed. Having this facility will help us retain our system of treating and giving each household the opportunity to confide in us while speaking to them with dignity and respect, expressing compassion, and giving them a sense of hope. This space will allow each household the comfort of knowing whatever they share with their case manager is shared in confidence without fear of being overheard by others.
If selected we would operate the following programs from the site: rapid rehousing, homeless prevention aid, in-person educational workshops, and case management sessions.
We would also dedicate a Resource Room for our partners to come in monthly and provide essential services. This space would be for our partners who may not necessarily have an office in Burbank but provide great support to those experiencing or on the verge of homelessness. We want to leverage those partnerships and make them available to our Burbank community. This includes the Department of Social Services coming in to help households sign up for General Relief, the California DMV coming in to assist with securing California Identification Cards, Express Employment coming in to host a job fair, mock interviews, and provide leads to dozens of jobs available in Burbank, and the Department of Agriculture coming in to conduct intakes for families in need of the WIC program.
One long term goal for the facility is to consider creating an area for crisis housing in the form of placing four tiny homes onsite, dedicated to homeless families. Home Again LA has been operating a shelter program for the past twelve years with local congregations however we have had a list of families waiting to move in. Creating this area would allow us the opportunity to support four additional families. The families would reside up to 90 days in our program while we provide case management and help them relocate into permanent housing. It would operate identically to our current shelter but rather than families moving around to congregations they would remain onsite with supervision and counseling, 24 hours, 7 days a week. This long-range goal would be carefully developed, reviewed, and implemented, if approved by our board of directors and senior staff.
In summary what I truly love about this opportunity is that in essence we would solidify Home Again LA becoming an extension of the City of Burbank; creating a true partnership. Since 2017 Home Again LA has been asked if we would consider operating an array of programs for the City of Burbank Housing Authority and the Community Development Department. As a true partner we have agreed and ATTACHMENT 1-9
considered these opportunities as blessings because ultimately we are positively impacting our community’s homeless population. Just a few examples of the programs we have contracted with the City of Burbank include:
i. Navigation Services for all households enrolled in the city’s Permanent Supportive Housing program,
ii. We operate the city’s only Rapid Rehousing program for households experiencing or on the verge of homelessness,
iii. We partner with the city to conduct the navigation for the city’s Emergency Housing Voucher program,
iv. We worked with the city to administer the city’s Rental Assistance Program during the pandemic.
b. Any nonprofits and/or joint use proposed
Home Again LA is not looking for a joint use project. We are submitting this application as the sole applicant.
c. How the proposed use aligns with the City Council goals.
Home Again LA’s mission runs in alignment with various goals that the City Council adopted on January 31, 2022.
Economic Recovery/Development – Our service in linking Burbank’s unemployed residents to job opportunities is an important connection that will tackle the economic recovery and development goal. We strive to link those in need of employment to jobs, but more so, careers. Helping them find a place of employment where they can grow and thrive while also increasing their income and becoming self-sufficient members of this community. Finally, our community workshops focus on an array of components that help educate residents on financial literacy, job development and over all life skills.
Housing/Homelessness – Our primary purpose in the community is to assist those in need of housing. We work to help the homeless secure and maintain their housing.
Through our homeless prevention aid we help tenants maintain their housing as they are dealing with various challenges such as loss of job and income. Our financial aid helps tenants but also supports the landlords who ultimately would lose a tenant and rent, too.
City Services – Our organization is truly an extension of the Community Development Department, specifically the Housing Authority. When residents reach out to the city seeking services to assist them regarding homelessness or at-risk of homelessness City representatives have made it a point to refer to our organization.
That strong partnership between the two is important as it gives the residents the trust and understanding that the city is responsive and expresses great empathy for the needs of our residents.
d. Demographics on population and numbers to be served
Those we intend to serve represent various populations of Burbank households who need our services; at-risk and homeless. The majority of programs offered at Home Again LA are specifically targeting Burbank homeless families with children. We also aim to support at-risk of homelessness households in Burbank. Those programs focus on families as well as individuals, up through senior citizens.
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e. Implementation timelines related to proposal
IV. Financial
a. Last two years’ financial statements
See attachment
b. Proposed plan to pay for the on-going maintenance and long-term maintenance The leadership at Home Again LA understands the importance of developing a strategy to pay for the on-going maintenance and long-term maintenance of the Buena Vista property. It is our desire to create a fund dedicated to the ongoing maintenance of the facility. On a quarterly basis the board and CEO will review our financials and set aside funds earmarked for the ongoing maintenance of the facility. c. Proposed plan to pay for tenant improvements; include any grant funds that will be applied for and where these might come from along with any requested City funding offsets.
First and foremost I express my gratitude to the City Staff and City Council for allocating Community Development Block Grant funds from fiscal year 22-23 that will be utilized for the tenant improvements. If selected as the future tenant, Home Again LA will apply for Community Development Block Grant Capital Projects for fiscal year 23-24 to support the costs of the improvement costs. In addition, our senior staff are already creating a list of private foundations, individuals, and corporate partners who fund capital improvement projects. We have spoken to some of these prospective funders about the potential of needing their support. However, we are not able to apply until we have a lease in hand; thus, we will hit the ground running, if selected. Example foundations we have consulted with include: the W.M. Keck Foundation, Rose Hills Foundation, Fluor Foundation, Hoag Family Foundation, Milgard Family Foundation, Parkinson Foundation, and the Mark Taper Foundation.
Since the formation of our Facilities Committee in 2018 the organization has created and managed a healthy investment account that may assist with expenses that are required to bring the building to code.
Finally, Home Again LA is a resilient organization with leadership who have strong ties to various partners who have expressed their desire to assist with monetary contributions and donate hands-on labor & supplies. We have partnerships with individuals, general contractors, and corporations who have the background and experience in landscaping, installation of windows, cabinetry installation, lighting installation, painting, and more. The improvement project truly allows for a special moment in Burbank, that being the community coming together to support a reputable organization who supports our residents through trying times. With a collaborative effort in improving the facility this will be a positive story for our community especially after the challenges that COVID-19 brought forth.
d. Ability to pay monthly negotiated rent
Home Again LA intends to pay monthly negotiated rent through our annual fundraising efforts. Over the past seven years Home Again LA has been able to ATTACHMENT 1-11
steadily expand its donor base while raising funding to pay for its monthly fixed costs. We currently have the ability to pay towards the negotiated rent as many of our costs for general expenses are reimbursed through government contracts we have at the city and county level.
V. Timeline
a. Showing proposed renovation, permitting and construction schedule and anticipated move-in date
See attachment.
b. When services will begin
We would hope to be able to start providing service in Summer 2023; specifically looking July through September 2023.
c. Any possible expanded or new services to be added in the future – We mention earlier in the application that we do have a potential expansion idea that would allow Home Again LA to increase the number of families we serve. This is triggered because if you look at Burbank and surrounded areas there is zero crisis housing beds for families with children. The one organization that offers shelter for families is in Glendale and they only have one bedroom for one family. Many families have to go to the west side of the Valley and even then space is so scarce. ‘One long term goal for the facility is to consider creating an area for crisis housing in the form of placing four tiny homes onsite, dedicated to homeless families. Home Again LA has been operating a shelter program for the past twelve years with local congregations however we have had a list of families waiting to move in. Creating this area would allow us the opportunity to support four additional families. The families would reside up to 90 days in our program while we provide case management and help them relocate into permanent housing. It would operate identically to our current shelter but rather than families moving around to congregations they would remain onsite with supervision and counseling, 24 hours, 7 days a week. This long-range goal would be carefully developed, reviewed, and implemented, if approved by our board of directors and senior staff.’
VI. Letters of support
a. Include at least three letters of support
See attachments
VII. City Responsibilities – Identify all services that are expected to be provided by the City of Burbank
As we look ahead to this process we are hopeful that the City of Burbank and Home Again LA would work closely with one another to make a clear understanding of expectations from both parties. As indicated earlier Home Again LA would be create an ‘Ongoing Maintenance Fund” that we would lean on should any issues with the building require immediate attention.
We do not mind handling future maintenance issues. We will take all responsibility of upkeeping. What I am hopeful for is to work alongside the City of Burbank in helping us get the facility up to code as far as required action items are concerned. I am beyond thankful for ATTACHMENT 1-12
the already allocated funding from CDBG 22-23 but I would hope that you consider our application for additional funding through CDBG 23-24. Not many nonprofit organizations have $1 million available for repairs. We utilize most of our funding for household security deposits, rental assistance, workshops, etc. While, yes, we plan to coordinate fundraising efforts we need the City’s support to secure additional CDBG funds to get closer to the full amount of funding required to reopen 2244 N Buena Vista so it can be home to Home Again LA, a community resource for all residents.
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Dear Burbank City Council, Justin, Judie, and Patrick,
For more than half of a decade, and conceivably for more than half of its existence, we have worked with the Home Again LA. The organization has progressed exponentially within those years and continues to overwhelm us with pride as we relish in its successes. We are writing to you today to express our support in allowing HALA to take over the Boys and Girls Club’s Buena Vista facility.
In these unprecedented times, it has been clear now more than ever the significance of an organization like HALA. Subsidized housing has always been an issue at large in Southern California and has only become so much worse due to the meteoric effects of the pandemic. It's times like these that require us to gather as a community to see clearly as to what needs to be done.
If even one household could find their way out of the economical strains of joblessness amidst COVID-19, we consider it a victory—let alone the nearly 200 households HALA has helped in 2019 alone. But since then, an additional 375 more households are in need of support given the precarious circumstances. That means a need for greater resources. HALA sees over 60 families a day and requires a larger space to accommodate the needs of the community.
Additionally, HALA is in great support with Albert Hernandez and the rest of his staff. He has proven to continue to provide so much for the Burbank community and we know that with additional resources he will be driven to do more for the community.
We have been a part of Saint Francis Xavier’s outreach for years, and our beliefs so greatly align with the mission of this program. The pandemic is not when homelessness began but it has given us the clarity of how much the community is in need. It is without a shadow of a doubt that we believe the city MUST do its part to allow HALA to expand and serve additional families. The city of Burbank is in dire straits and with just a bit of support— arguably one that would not even create a dent in a budget— HALA could really assuage some of the economic issues.
Please take this all into consideration and move forward to allow HALA to take over the BGC facility.
Best,
Dave and Pat Augustine
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Letter of Support from Michael Cusumano directed to Burbank City Council
In this time of immense challenges, it is nice to be able to reflect on a victory for our community, and the victory that I would like to reflect on today is the amazing success of Family Promise of the Verdugos. Over the past ten years, FPV has gone from a fledgling start up with a budget of $150,000 to one of the most effective community organizations in our city, and I am very proud to have been a supporter of this cause since its beginning. And we have viewed our financial support not as a donation, but in an investment in this community, and this investment has paid enormous dividends.
FPV not only rescues the most vulnerable of our local families and provides shelter and support for them, but they provide a pathway to self-sufficiency. And amazingly, in this time of such social and political division, FPV has executed much of their plan through their network of faith-based members who provides resources to the cause regardless of religious affiliation. I only wish we had more coordination in solving our world’s problems through the cross denominational and cross-cultural model that FPV has developed and I can assure you that we would live in a much better world.
And FPV and their amazing CEO Albert have proven to also be such great leaders in our community, taking on new roles and expanding programs to meet the changing and expanding needs in our community.
So where is this all leading? This is my strongest possible request for the Council to enter into an agreement with FPV to take over the BGC facility on Buena Vista when BGC moves into their new facility. The City’s investment in FPV through this facility will be pennies on the dollar in terms for community benefit. FPV has PROVEN its ability to effectively and efficiently provide exceptional services to our community and their expertise is needed now, more than ever.
Please move forward with this clear “win” for our community.
Best,
Michael
Michael Cusumano
Managing Director
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March 18th, 2021
Honorable Members of the Burbank City Council
City of Burbank
275 E. Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA 91502
Dear Councilmembers:
It is with great pleasure that I write in support of Family Promise of the Verdugos’ request to secure the 2244 North Buena Vista Street facility through an agreement with the City of Burbank. This new location will enable them to better serve Burbank families and the surrounding community, addressing the homelessness crisis by providing critical services to our most vulnerable residents.
Family Promise opened its doors in 2010 and since then has helped over 1,998 individuals and housed 611 families. During times of great uncertainty and insecurity, Family Promise has been an anchor to many families, providing shelter and supportive services to people in need. However, while thousands of people seek out their services, the lack of sufficient space has made it difficult for their staff to assist their clientele. This organization has outgrown its current home, at a time when the need for their services has never been more urgent.
A larger facility will expand the ability of Family Promise to meet the diverse needs of their clientele and our community. They will be able to store inventory to be given to families who need basic household goods. Parents will be able to have private counseling with case managers. In addition, the new facility will allow them to serve more people and host vital community workshops. This is a huge potential win for our vulnerable families who need support, especially during the pandemic, and a wonderful way to re- use this space vacated by the Boys & Girls Club for a community-based organization.
Clearly, Family Promise requires additional space to meet the growing need presented by homeless individuals and families in our region. With their long-standing reputation for dedicated staff, effective programming and efficient use of their existing resources, I support their request to secure the 2244 North Buena Vista Street facility. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my District Office at (818) 558-3043. Thank you.
Sincerely,
LAURA FRIEDMAN
Assemblymember, 43rd District
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March 10, 2021
Burbank City Council
City Hall
275 E. Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA 91502
Re: Letter of Support for Family Promise of the Verdugos
Dear Honorable Councilmembers,
If the last year has taught us anything, it is the value of one’s community being able to come together to provide assistance to those most in need. Within our community, Family Promise of the Verdugos has led the way, casting a wide safety net to bring families back from the brink of homelessness. Logix Federal Credit Union is a supporter Family Promise of the Verdugos, as we see a great value in all that they do.
When the nonprofit opened its doors more than 10 years ago, FPV operated as a 90-day shelter that could house just four homeless families at any time. The apartment unit – a two bedroom, two bathroom – was an ideal facility at the time. Today, FPV operates the 90-day shelter, a rapid rehousing program, homeless prevention, transitional housing and community workshops that focus on prevention. The organization now supports 75 households each day and boasts a staff of 12 full- and part-time employees, out of the same small apartment unit.
As COVID-19 began to create economic ripples throughout the area, FPV stepped in to provide assistance to households in need of support as they faced loss of income due to job loss.
Now it’s our turn to support Family Promise so they may continue to keep so many families in our community afloat. As the Burbank Boys & Girls Club plans to vacate their facility on Buena Vista Street, just a short distance from FPV’s current office space, we encourage the City Council to enter into an agreement with Family Promise to occupy this new space. The facility would enable FPV to effectively and safely provide support to residents in need of assistance. Additionally, it would allow for the implementation of new programs to prevent families from losing their homes as the community navigates its way out of the pandemic.
Allowing FPV to move into the Boys & Girls Club facility is more than just a win for this deserving organization; it serves as a pledge to the entire community that the city will provide its fullest support to all families during these difficult times and beyond.
Please consider all that FPV means to our community and approve their request.
Regards,
Ana Fonseca
CEO & President,
Logix Federal Credit Union
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To: Burbank City Council and City Officials:
Re: Family Promise of the Verdugos Application for the Boys and Girls Club Facility As a Burbank resident for over 20 years, I most strongly support Family Promise of the Verdugos in their application to move into the facility which the Boys and Girls Club will soon vacate. I have been involved in numerous community service efforts through the years, and Family Promise of the Verdugos is truly an extraordinary organization. FPV demonstrates not only a commitment to the community but also a tremendous success rate that is rare indeed.
Through my local congregation (originally St Jude’s of Burbank, now merged with St David’s) I’ve experienced firsthand the powerful impact FPV has on the community. Our congregation has been part of the FPV network since it began in 2010, and it has been an amazing model of bringing the whole community together in coordinating various faith congregations and available resources, in order to transform so many lives.
While the homeless issue can feel overwhelming, FPV offers a successful model that consistently excels at finding solutions for every family. In 2010, as our congregation saw families achieve their goals of regaining employment and long term housing, the community support increased as everyone wanted to contribute their time, their talents, their resources towards this fruitful endeavor.
Throughout the years since then, FPV has shown incredible vision in the way it has broadened its services to assist many more families. Currently, FPV is able to service over 70 families per year, providing a wealth of support services in order for these families to find employment and secure housing. However, working with this increased number of families in the existing FPV site creates inordinate challenges. FPV’s success stems from the personal level of support each family receives as they meet with staff members in working toward their goals.
Because FPV still works out of its original site which is a two bedroom suite, it has become impossible for this increased number of families being serviced, to feel they can have the level of privacy needed when meeting with their case managers. Additionally, FPV uses their small space to provide a great deal for the families besides meeting with their case managers.
Families use the site for showers, laundry, computers as they seek employment, as well as locker space. FPV has always been exemplary in maximizing its resources for the greatest impact. With the larger space of the Boys and Girls Club facility, FPV would be able to continue serving larger numbers of families, as well as provide further community services such as relevant workshops (e.g. financial planning, how to sign up for general relief, and so forth).
FPV not only benefits the families directly serviced, but also strengthens the entire community as these families become vital members of the local area and the many volunteers involved become more invested in the community as a whole. Please grant Family Promise of the ATTACHMENT 1-24
Verdugos its request to move into the facility vacated by the Boys and Girls Club; FPV is by far the organization that will bring the most meaningful benefit to the community and utilize this facility most effectively.
Sincerely,
Brend Cha
Brenda Chan
533 E Providencia Ave #10
Burbank, CA 91501
[email protected]
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Dear Burbank City Council Members, City Manager and Assistant City Manager, When Home Again LA opened their doors in July 2010, their first family was a single mother and her 14-year-old son. She did not want to go to a shelter since they would have been separated with her son being sent to the men’s section. No mother should have to be separated from her children. When I heard this I new that we were opening the right program that would keep families together under all circumstances.
As one of the founding board members I never would have envisioned the growth that HALA has experienced over the past 10 years. When we first opened our doors in the two-bedroom apartment, that they are still using, it was fine since we only had one paid employee. The Executive Director was able to meet with the families in privacy and ascertain their needs and develop a plan with them to get them back into housing without others overhearing their conversations.
Today with 14 employees that is not possible. It is important to preserve the family’s dignity and privacy. The employees are not afforded adequate workspace and privacy to perform their duties.
Unfortunately, the need to help non housed families is as great as it was in 2010 if not greater due to Covid 19. Home Again LA has expanded from their core program to administer programs including rent assistance, rapid rehousing and transitional housing. These programs bring even more people into the day center than the shelter program’s 4 families. They all deserve a place to talk in private. There is also a computer room that is not adequate for these families to have access to a computer to look for housing, employment and to be able to apply for jobs. A larger area with more computers is needed especially now as the library is not open to the public with access to computers.
Just as a family grows so has HALA. It is time for them to move to a larger facility. Therefore, I am asking for you to allow HALA to take over the Boys and Girls Club’s Buena Vista facility once they move to their new location. This would allow adequate space for them to properly serve all of their families.
Please consider the great need and move forward to allow HALA to take over the BGC facility once they move.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best Personal Wishes
Sandra Thompson
Founding Board Member
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Albert Hernandez <[email protected]>
FPV Support
Karen Volpei - Gussow <[email protected]> Sat, Mar 13, 2021 at 7:49 AM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Cc: BARRY GUSSOW <[email protected]>
Dear Mayor Frutos and members of the City Council,
We have all been through a very challenging year but we all know the challenges have not been equitable.
Some have had to sacrifice in much more measurable ways. Those in tremendous need will need our support to get back on their feet not just today but for years to come.
Family Promise of the Verdugos has become one of the most efficient and respected non profits in our community.
Albert Hernandez has built a strong and organized team. Barry and I have proudly been supporters from the beginning but became more consistent supporters when Albert creatively started his 365 campaign. Albert was one of the first non profits to engage the community at such a grass roots level.
The mission of FPV is to provide shelter and supportive services for homeless families with children. They do not just help with a handout and shelter but with supportive services, employment goals and a 90 day path into housing. The program has gone over the past several years from serving 30 families to 70 households a year. There is no doubt that after the year we have and the number of people we see sleeping on our streets and in cars, this number is going to take a significant jump again.
FPV has continued to find other ways to help provide additional households with financial support and has embraced taking on additional programing that is essential to the health and well being of our community.
It is my understanding that the city facility which will soon be vacated by the Boys and Girls Club at 2244 Buena Vista will be in need of a tenant. I am asking that each of you show your support for FPV to move into this facility as it would be an ideal place for them to continue to support our homeless populations and those at risk of homelessness. They will be able to have the space to implement new and necessary programing as a result of new and tragic problems facing our community resulting from this past year.
As most of you know I have had an intimate involvement with many of our local non profits over the years. While I have not served on the FPV board, I have served with Albert on several other boards and committees. His ability to lead his board, staff and committee members is outstanding. He creates an energy that brings everyone together and a encourages a willingness to participate. I know FPV moving into this facility will be the best solution for all concerned.
Thank you all for your commitment to Burbank!
Karen Volpei
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