Local housing officials and community leaders have joined with PATH Ventures, a nonprofit housing development agency, to introduce new integrated housing models for the homeless in Los Angeles County. PATH Ventures aims to build 1,000 units of permanent affordable housing over the next five years, with 120 units currently in development. The board of PATH Ventures includes former public officials and housing/banking industry leaders. PATH Ventures' new executive director, Shane Murphy Goldsmith, will lead efforts to provide results-oriented leadership and help address Los Angeles' housing crisis and homelessness through innovative housing models like step housing, villas, and direct housing.
PATH Ventures launches housing models to end homelessness
1. News Release
July 19, 2007 Contact: Kai Stansberry/323·644·2212
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE kais@pathpartners.org
An Innovative “Venture” to End Homelessness
PATH Ventures to launch new integrated housing models for LA’s homeless
(Los Angeles) -- Local housing officials and community leaders join efforts to introduce new
housing models for PATH Ventures, a nonprofit housing development agency. PATH Ventures
is promoting new integrated housing models for Los Angeles County, as well as launching new
efforts to build 1,000 units of permanent affordable housing over the next five years. Currently,
120 housing units are in development.
John Molloy, retired CEO of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, and
Harreld Adams, the former Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) CEO, are
among other former public officials and community leaders in the housing and banking
industries comprising the PATH Ventures Board of Directors.
“Los Angeles needs housing developers who will bring innovation and entrepreneurship to
address our housing crisis," said Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti. “I'm excited
about the road that PATH Ventures is going to take us down.”
2. The PATH Ventures board recently appointed Shane Murphy Goldsmith as its Executive
Director. Goldsmith is the former Senior Housing Legislative Deputy for Councilmember
Garcetti. “Shane Goldsmith has been a trusted advisor and a friend to me for many years,” said
Garcetti. “Her knowledge of housing policy is only matched by her passion for ending
homelessness. I’m confident that her leadership will help PATH Ventures really make a
difference.”
“To build 1,000 units of housing over the next five years is a hefty goal,” said Julie Downey,
Deputy City Attorney, City of Los Angeles (Ret.) and PATH Ventures Board President. “I am
confident that Ms. Goldsmith’s extensive housing and homelessness experience combined with
her background in policy will enable her to provide results-oriented leadership to lead the PATH
Ventures team in the right direction.”
Other PATH Ventures Board members include notables such as Sharon Fong, Union Bank;
relocation specialist Robert Shober; retired Community Development Department executive
Barker Khorasanee; Public Interest Attorney Paul Freese, and Fair Housing expert Sharron
Hillary.
“We are grateful to have such extensive leadership at PATH Ventures,” says Joel John Roberts,
chief executive officer of PATH Partners (PATH Ventures is a member of PATH Partners. See
www.pathpartners.org for more information). “The significant lack of affordable housing and the
overwhelming number of people who are homeless in Los Angeles County calls for more
leadership in this area.”
As a nonprofit affordable housing and economic development agency, PATH Venture’s mission
is to improve individual lives and communities by increasing quality affordable housing and
creating opportunities for economic, civic, and personal empowerment. This new housing
initiative is part of the agency’s strategic mission to develop more integrated housing
opportunities for people in the Los Angeles region.
Some of PATH Ventures’ integrated housing models include:
3. Step Housing – Residential developments that have both permanent affordable housing and
temporary interim housing units under one roof. In this model, long-term rents support the
operation of temporary interim housing. Temporary housing units become converted to
permanent housing units after a set period of time.
Villas – Residential developments that offer housing to diverse populations of people in need,
including homeless families, seniors, transitional-aged youth, adults, and chronically homeless
individuals.
Direct Housing – Housing that provides immediate entry into permanent housing through a
subsidized leasing program. This type of housing utilizes and coordinates existing market-rate
rental housing units that are scattered throughout the community.
About PATH Partners
Since 1984, PATH Partners and its family of agencies have been committed to breaking the
cycle of homelessness by providing services and building housing for people in need. Now a
regional organization with national influence, PATH Partners also helps communities integrate
support services with permanent housing through capacity-building, creative partnerships and
community mobilization.
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