American Family Housing 2016 Year-In-Review

MIDWAY CITY, CA--(Marketwired - Jan 11, 2017) - American Family Housing (AFH) -- a leading nonprofit organization providing a continuum of housing and an array of services to support homeless and low income families and adults -- looks back on 2016 with gratitude for unprecedented support, and approaches the new year bolstered by a long list of program and project successes. From breaking ground on Potter's Lane, its visionary housing development for the nation's chronically homeless war veterans, to public events and awareness campaigns that have influenced the way the public views the face of homelessness, AFH has taken a quantum leap toward its goal to render homelessness an anomaly of the past.

"We truly experienced a year like no other," says AFH president and CEO Donna Gallup, who the Orange County Register named among its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2016. "We are especially proud of Potter's Lane and the invaluable partnerships we have forged to make it a reality. With support from individuals, groups, public and private businesses and government organizations, the first-of-its-kind, ultra-green, energy-efficient and sustainable housing development will fulfill one of the community's greatest needs: permanent housing for chronically homeless veterans."

Built using upcycled steel shipping containers from GrowthPoint Structures, Potter's Lane is slated for a February 8, 2017 ribbing-cutting ceremony and will serve as a national model for affordable, scalable housing for homeless veterans and non-veterans alike. Designed with community input, the 16 stunning apartments, community room, fitness court and landscaped gardens were the collaborative effort of a large and powerful team that included AFH, GrowthPoint Structures, SVA Architects, Inc., JBR's Engineering, Inc., Volunteers of America National Services, Del Amo Construction, James Dockstader Landscape Architect, Community Development Partners and LCY Designs. The project has already garnered two PCBC Merit Awards, with primary funding from major supporters including Federal Home Loan Bank, The Home Depot Foundation, Presbytery of Los Ranchos, Pacific Premier Bank, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, California Department of Housing and Community Development, California Department of Veteran Affairs, County of Orange Community Services and Housing Authority and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. Ongoing rental assistance and supportive services will be provided via the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In addition to providing homes of steel for the brave of heart, AFH partnered with Soroptimist International of Westminster in April 2016 for its annual Mother's Day Ladies' Tea and Day of Beauty, where AFH beneficiaries experiencing homelessness and economic challenges were honored and pampered. In August, the AFH 5^th annual Ribs, Pigs and Watermelons--Professional BBQ Competition, Music Festival and Car Show held at Huntington State Beach raised over $155,000 to support its critical programs and services and in November, volunteers and staff served and delivered more than 2,000 Thanksgiving meals to families and individuals in need. In 2016, AFH also proudly welcomed new staff members: senior director of development Steven Forry, Ph.D.; director of community development Sherley St. Juste, MSW; and community outreach coordinator Elizabeth Duong.

"The successful outcomes of 2016 have helped AFH advance its mission and fulfill the promise of new beginnings in 2017," adds Gallup. "We owe a debt of gratitude to our partners and supporters who are a shining example of what can be accomplished when we come together for the greater good. One day, in the not-so-distant future, we will look back as a nation and proudly witness the end of homelessness."

With media inquiries, please contact Leslie Licano at (949) 733-8679. For information on AFH, please visit www.afhusa.org or call (714) 897-3221. 

ABOUT AMERICAN FAMILY HOUSING: Founded in 1985, American Family Housing (AFH) is a nonprofit organization that provides a continuum of housing and a broad spectrum of services to vulnerable populations facing barriers to achieving housing stability, including war veterans and adults with disabilities and mental illness. Operating 63 housing sites, with 267 units that serve more than 1,000 unduplicated adults and children each year in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, AFH is committed to permanently ending the cycle of homelessness, helping low-income families and adults achieve a self-sustaining way of life and become active members of their communities.