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Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant for Construction of Home for Seniors, Developmentally Disabled OCTOBER 03, 2006 -- Compton, Calif. -- The California Community Foundation has awarded LINC Housing Corp., a Long Beach, Calif.-based nonprofit development company, with a $100,000 grant that will help build the Seasons at Compton, an 80-unit affordable rental community here for seniors and developmentally disabled seniors and adults. “These individuals were traditionally getting housing that was 100 percent only for people like them. It was more institutional and it was isolating,” Hunter L. Johnson, president and CEO of LINC, told MHN. “There’s a big effort to get these individuals into the mainstream population and make them feel like they’re part of society.” LINC hopes to begin construction on the $24-million project in the fall of 2007, Johnson said. Designed by Nardi Associates LLP, a Monrovia, Calif.-based architecture firm, the complex will consist of mostly two-bedroom units. Rents will depend upon residents’ income and will likely range from $343 to $722 per month. Over a third of the development will be allocated for developmentally disabled seniors or seniors living with a developmentally disabled son or daughter. With the help of the grant, LINC has hired a social service expert with experience in developing facilities and programs for developmentally disabled adults. “This grant has allowed us to bring in a true specialist who will not only help us develop the facilities necessary for our special-needs residents, but, even more importantly, we want to ensure that the programs and services we provide enable the residents to live independently and successfully for as long as possible,” Johnson said. To further address the needs of its residents, Seasons at Compton, located on S. Frailey Avenue and Alondra Boulevard, will feature wheelchair-accessible passageways, ramps, elevators, as well as low sinks and light switches. “The facilities and services we aim to provide will enhance the quality of life for all of the community’s residents,” Johnson said. “And we also hope to see friendships form between the various populations, creating a cohesive, caring and supportive environment for everyone.” There is a “tremendous need” for affordable housing in the area, Johnson said. The South Central Los Angeles, Frank D. Lanterman, Eastern Los Angeles, Westside and Harbor regional centers, which all facilitate state funding and services for the area’s special needs community, will provide support to the Seasons at Compton. Karen Ingram, director of community services for the Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center, said local residents living on supplemental security income receive less than $950 per month. They rely on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other subsidized housing in order to live independently, she said. “The true value of Seasons at Compton is that it’s providing desperately needed affordable housing for seniors and people with developmental disabilities,” Ingram said. Copyright 2006 Multi-Housing News |
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