Innovative Youth Housing Opens with PCF's Support

First Place for Youth participant Myh’Keith L. welcomes guests to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the East Foothill Boulevard property on August 7, 2024.

On a warm August afternoon in east Pasadena, 20-year-old Sky Celine generously invited PCF into her brand-new apartment, proudly throwing her arms wide to show off her beautiful space. She is one of six young adults who are transitioning out of foster care and just moved into an innovative new housing project that resulted from a dynamic collaboration among several community partners, including the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF). See our photo carousel below for pictures of Sky Celine and the August 7 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A Partner from the Ground Up

In early 2022, PCF toured a site on Foothill Boulevard in east Pasadena with Charles Loveman, Executive Director of Heritage Housing Partners. With encouragement from the City of Pasadena’s Housing Department Director, Bill Huang, Loveman was in the process of purchasing the property with two existing structures to transform it into housing for transition age foster youth, or TAY. The proposed project was appealing to PCF because it addressed two important Foundation initiatives: affordable housing and foster youth.

“This project offered several compelling opportunities for PCF,” says PCF Director of Community Impact, Jeannine Bogaard. “We provided $200,000 to support property renovations, and we also leveraged our strong relationships with nonprofits and city officials to convene the right partners and find additional avenues of support.”

Moreover, Jeannine notes that as the project continued to evolve over the next two years, PCF connected Heritage Housing Partners with First Place for Youth (FPFY), a nonprofit that supports foster youth ages 18-24 in their transition to adulthood by providing comprehensive programs and services. FPFY selected six of its program participants to move into the new property; the residents will receive wrap-around services onsite.

First Place for Youth participant and PCC student Sky Celine shows off her brand new apartment.

The community partners join for the housing ribbon-cutting celebration on August 7, 2024.

Heritage Housing Partners Executive Director Charles Loveman shares remarks on August 7, 2024.

First Place for Youth Executive Director Thomas Lee shares remarks at August 7, 2024 ribbon cutting ceremony.

PCC President Dr. Jose A. Gomez shares remarks at August 7, 2024 ribbon cutting ceremony.

Jeannine Bogaard, PCF Director of Commuity Impact, shares remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony, August 7, 2024.

U.S. Representative Judy Chu shares remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony, August 7, 2024.

First Place for Youth participant Myh’Keith L. shares remarks, August 7, 2024.

U.S. Representative Judy Chu presents a check to First Place for Youth to support project costs.

Jeannine Bogaard and Jennifer DeVoll in the stairwell of the new studio apartments.

PCF funded the purchase of furnishings for each of the six apartments.

Sky Celine is a second-year student at PCC pursuing a nursing degree. She entered foster care at age 14.

Exterior of the East Foothill Blvd. property

Front exterior of the East Foothill Blvd. property.

Adjacent property acquired for Phase 2 of the housing project.

Housing Leads to College Success

The community collaboration coalesced around a pressing need, one that an August 2024 RAND Report reaffirms: time spent within the foster care system puts an individual at greater risk of experiencing homelessness. And, as PCF has learned through its Petersen Scholars Program, recent studies also show that former foster youth attending community colleges face the highest rates of homelessness or housing insecurity across California’s public post-secondary education systems.

To help address this statistic locally, Pasadena City College (PCC) will support the program participants by covering the first five years of rent – the first time that PCC has established a formal partnership to provide housing for its students. PCC will also ensure these students have access to vital services at the college, including the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and CARES teams, both of which have established relationships with the TAY population.

Furnishing the Apartments – and Looking Forward to the Next Phase

As the opening date neared this spring, PCF stepped in with funding once again to fully furnish each of the six apartments. On August 7, PCF celebrated alongside the community partners and stakeholders at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This project brings together so many of PCF’s priorities. It demonstrates what partnerships can accomplish for our young people and the impact it can have on our whole community,” said Jeannine Bogaard at the event. “It is a proud day for PCF to see this housing open and know that we’ve been with the project from inception to completion.”

Guests at the ceremony only had to look next door to imagine the next phase of this project. Heritage Housing Partners has acquired the adjacent property, which will also be refurbished to eventually house an additional nine TAY students. PCF is excited about the phase 2 expansion and hopes to continue our work with the current partners.