Abode.org

You can support our outreach teams and help unhoused participants by donating new or gently used sleeping bags, as well as tents for two-to-six people. More info here:

Housing is the solution to homelessness. That’s why we’re excited to share this video showing the recent progress at Parkmoor Community Apartments & The HUB Center for TAY. Once finished, this 1.62-acre site in San Jose will have 81 units of affordable and supportive housing, including apartments for transitional-age youth. It's one of the sites Abode Housing Development has in the affordable housing pipeline, as part of our mission of providing sustainable solutions to homelessness.

Abode Housing Development - Parkmoor Apartments - July 2024 Update

We’d like to give big thanks to the team of volunteers from JP Morgan/Chase, including Kendra Brown, Daniel Fukuyama, and Nagam Abadajabbar! They led their staff in donating backpacks to students in our programs, as well as spending the day stuffing backpacks with school supplies that will help local kids in the classroom this fall and beyond.

Thank you again for your support!

We are very pleased to announce that Andy Madeira, a seasoned Bay Area community leader, is the newest member of the Abode Housing Development Board of Directors!

To learn more about our board and its members, please go online here: https://tinyurl.com/3uk53bmk.

Welcome, Andy!

We were thrilled on Friday to celebrate the grand opening of Depot Community Apartments — a new supportive housing development that is adding 125 affordable homes in the city of Hayward!

We are excited to announce that Olivia Yu, a Bay Area business leader, is the newest member of the Abode Services Board of Directors!

To learn more about our board and its members, please go online here: https://tinyurl.com/3uk53bmk.

Welcome, Olivia!

At Abode, we are concerned that Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order today regarding the removal of homeless encampments will fail to reach its goals and yield negative results for those who simply need a home.

We believe today’s announcement is a call to action for our state and local leaders to redouble our efforts to end homelessness.

Our stance on the issue of sweeping encampments is clear:

• Homelessness is not a crime, it is a crisis – one that is a result of systemic failures that have produced fewer than 24 affordable units for every 100 people who need them.

• In the Bay Area, some would have to earn as much as $78 per hour to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment. (For low-wage workers, that would mean working up to five full-time minimum-wage jobs.)

• We believe this nation’s laws should protect the most vulnerable people in our community – not threaten them.

• Criminalizing homelessness is wrong. It is cruel, ineffective, and costly.

• It worsens cycles of homelessness and makes it more difficult to find real solutions.

That is why we condemned the June 28 Supreme Court ruling on Grants Pass v. Johnson, which makes it easier for authorities to punish people for experiencing homelessness, even when there is no adequate shelter.

Instead of punishing those in need, we would like to use today’s announcement as an opportunity for a call to action. Newsom himself called on local governments to house people and provide services. It is our hope that state officials and local governments will do just that – find and fund sustainable housing solutions.

As a region, we long ago moved away from the tepid goal of merely “managing homelessness.” Instead, we must keep taking steps to actually end the problem.

We must urge leaders – nationally and locally – to accept the idea that just moving people around isn’t going to solve homelessness. Sweeping an encampment is no solution, if the individuals living there have nowhere to go.

The solution to homelessness is housing.

Today, we call on local leaders to continue to work on that real solution, so that someone experiencing homelessness today will soon have a dignified place to live.

Using the approach to ending homelessness, Abode has rehoused more than 10,200 formerly homeless individuals since 2020. Housing First has proven to be a far more effective strategy than past, traditional approaches.

We give big thanks to the Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Southern Alameda County for recently donating 25 quilts to Abode! The Piecemakers' regular gifts for Abode do much to boost the spirits of families in our programs, as well as keep them warm each winter. Thank you again, Piecemakers!

For parents in our programs, it's never too soon to receive back-to-school supplies. Check out this list of needed supplies to see how you can help! Or contact us at [email protected] or 510-807-8199 for more info on how to give. Thank you for your support!

Join our team of food volunteers and help us provide groceries to children and families in Abode programs! Interested? Contact our Volunteer Program Manager, Alyssa Santos, at 510-807-8199 or [email protected].

We strongly object to the recent Supreme Court decision on the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson – a ruling that will make it easier for authorities to punish people for experiencing homelessness, even when there is no adequate shelter.

The Court’s June 28 decision runs counter to our deeply held belief that this nation’s laws and policies should protect the most vulnerable people in our community – not threaten them. At Abode, our stance is clear: Homelessness is not a crime, it is a crisis – one that is a result of systemic failures that have produced fewer than 24 affordable units for every 100 people who need them.

Criminalizing homelessness is wrong – in every way. It is cruel, ineffective, costly, and it creates unnecessary barriers to fighting poverty. Arresting or fining people who don’t have a home worsens cycles of homelessness and makes it more difficult to find solutions.

We respectfully but wholeheartedly condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson. Cruelty and craven policies do nothing to solve poverty and homelessness.

The solution to homelessness is housing, not handcuffs.

Every quarter, we share the latest Abode updates in our newsletter. In this issue, we focus on the recent grand opening of Kifer Senior Apartments, which has added 80 new affordable homes in the city of Santa Clara. You can find the digital version of Abode's Summer 2024 newsletter by clicking here: https://abode.org/newsletter-summer-2024

We are proud once again to celebrate Juneteenth – a federal holiday held each June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery. The holiday’s name combines the words "June" and "nineteenth" – the day in 1865 when 250,000 slaves in Texas were declared free, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln.

Nearly 160 years later, our nation is still confronting urgent issues of racial injustice that exist across our society – from health care and education to the criminal justice system and housing. Racism and discriminatory policies and practices continue to persist.

We encourage each of you to read Abode’s pledge of anti-racism - at abode.org/abode-pledge-of-antiracism - which acknowledges that homelessness is inextricably linked to structural racism.

This Juneteenth, we aim to explore the history and achievements of the African American community in order to increase our collective understanding of our country’s past and current issues around housing inequality – and how we continue our work to solve this problem. Please join us in celebrating Juneteenth.

Join our team of volunteers and help Abode provide food to children and adults we serve! Interested? Contact us at 510-807-8199 or [email protected].

Your food donations can greatly help formerly homeless families and individuals at our emergency shelter. For details on how to give, please read the graphic below. Questions? Contact our Volunteer Program Manager, Alyssa Santos, at [email protected] or (510) 807-8199.

We want to share an excellent article that was co-authored by Ryan Keen, Ph.D., and Marilyn Winkleby, MPH, Ph.D., and recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Winkleby, a former Bay Area Furniture Bank board member, so adeptly describes the implications of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson – a case the Supreme Court will decide later this month.

She and Keen wrote: "Criminalization is among the least effective and most expensive approaches to addressing homelessness. … Enabling the criminalization of homelessness could have disastrous consequences for individual and population health."

We are grateful to work with such talented and passionate board members and staff – past and present – who live our values of promoting dignity and evidence-based practices.

You can find the entire article at this web page: https://abode.org/marilyn-winkleby-article

June, of course, is Pride Month – and Abode is proud to continue its tradition of celebrating this important observance of LGBTQIA+ rights.

Our agency will never waver in our belief that all people deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, and that everyone warrants equal treatment no matter their gender identity or sexuality.

Each June, we proudly change our logo to represent the Rainbow Flag and show our solidarity to the LGBTQIA+ community. More importantly, we offer a daily environment that is safe and encourages our staff to be who they are – as they provide the same reassurances to our clients.

LGBTQIA+ individuals are overrepresented in the homeless population, as discrimination, abuse, and harassment often prevent participants from finding support services or shelter space.

Studies show that LGBTQIA+ youth are 120 percent more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQIA+ youth. Twenty percent of those in the LGBTQIA+ community experienced homelessness before the age of 18. And 68 percent of homeless youth had a history of family rejection, according to a survey of homeless service providers.

However, Abode remains committed to fighting for equal rights and against discrimination, working to protect all communities and offer solidarity and support to our LGBTQIA+ friends and colleagues. Abode works with people who are already marginalized by society, and we are dedicated to offering compassion and support to all whose human rights are ignored – or threatened.

Next year, we will open our first permanent supportive housing site that specifically serves Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex (TGNCI+) young people ages 18-29 years old. We will provide property management services and partner with a youth-specific service provider for social services. The 42-unit building is located in South of Market Area (SOMA) in San Francisco.

Please join us in celebrating Pride Month all throughout June.

As we come to the end of , we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the affordable housing sites we've recently opened or started building. We opened Doug Ford Senior Apartments in Fremont in February, broke ground at Eucalyptus Grove in San Mateo County in late March, and held a grand opening for Kifer Senior Apartments earlier this month in the city of Santa Clara. The best solution to homelessness is a home – that's why we're so excited to add much-needed affordable homes in these Bay Area communities!

We are a four-star organization, according to Charity Navigator, which analyzes nonprofit groups nationwide! We received Charity Navigator's top-rating for accountability, leadership, and adaptability, as well as for making good use of donor resources to have a positive impact on the people we serve. Thank you, Charity Navigator!

A sunny Wednesday was the perfect day for the grand opening of Kifer Senior Apartments in the city of Santa Clara! We joined our community partners there to celebrate the housing site that has added 80 new affordable homes for seniors in the South Bay. The ceremony also was a great way to observe Affordable Housing Month, which is running throughout May. Thank you to everyone who made Kifer Senior Apartments possible!

We were thrilled on Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of Kifer Senior Apartments — an affordable housing development that is adding 80 new homes for low-income senior households in the city of Santa Clara.

Join us on May 14 when we'll join Housing for Health Partnership and Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz to honor property owners and managers who help ensure all county residents have stable, safe, and healthy places to live. If you own or manage property in Santa Cruz County and want to to get more involved, join us at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, at Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court in Aptos. See you there!

RSVP at https://mailchi.mp/santacruzcounty/rm9jj30fhk

You can now give through May 31 to help Abode clients! Use the attached QR code to give today to fund a charity bike build program led by Porsche Stevens Creek and Community Cycles of California. When donating, please enter "Porsche Stevens Creek Bike Build" in the comments, so the funds are allocated to this mission.

Thank you, Porsche Stevens Creek and Community Cycles, for your support!

We are pleased to announce that David Luu, a seasoned leader in Bay Area financial services, is the newest member of the Abode Housing Development Board of Directors!

To learn more about the Abode Housing Development board and its members, please visit our website at https://lnkd.in/et7GF7s3

Abode is proudly observing Earth Day today.

The ecology-themed day matches Abode’s commitment to preserving the environment, as people experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by ecological problems and severe weather conditions.

Climate change poses an increasingly perilous threat to those who are living without a home, making our mission of ending homelessness more crucial than ever. Join us this Earth Day in recognizing the vital importance of solving ecological issues and mitigating climate change to improve the environment and better protect our community’s most vulnerable populations.

"Homelessness and the climate crisis are inextricably connected as environmental impacts weigh most heavily on the most vulnerable in our communities," said Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services. "We are proud to observe Earth Day, as it mirrors our values and our mission of finding sustainable solutions for homelessness."

We applaud Abode Services board member Claudine Sipili for her recent excellent column, in which she explains that ending homelessness is indeed possible - especially if "we prioritize human worth and respect while pursuing practical solutions." Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/23mfx2vs