It all started with a letter, written by Claire and Rev. Charles Orr, calling for the community to address the ever-increasing homelessness issue.
In response, on the night of December 8, 1983, approximately 60 people gathered together to figure out how to help people who were homeless in their neighborhoods.
On that night, PATH was born.
In the intervening years the organization has grown in both ambition and effectiveness, becoming a significant force working on behalf of the homeless. During that time it has branched out, turning into a family of organizations linked by common goals.
Path Partners is one element of the PATH family, the one that focuses on what I consider the most promising approach to homelessness so far. This excerpt from their About page sums it up nicely:
PATH Ventures was founded to help provide long-term housing solutions for those “graduating” from shelters and transitional programs. Our housing models aim to end and prevent homelessness by integrating supportive services with permanent housing for people in need. PATH Ventures is closely integrated with PATH which for over 25 years has proved quality shelter and human services to Los Angeles’s homeless population.
This unique marriage of a supportive service provider and a housing developer ensures that services are delivered in the most cost-effective manner and that our mission is built into the very architecture and management of every unit we construct.
This is exactly the sort of solution we have been advocating for years. Housing alone cannot fix the issue; it is a great idea but one that does not address the root causes or complications brought on by chronic homelessness. Scenarios that add supportive services can achieve vastly better results. Not only that, but they can also almost always do so less expensively.
Most recently PATH has opened a new facility in the old San Diego World Trade Center under the banner of Connections Housing. Connections Housing is a collaboration between several entities, some of them in the PATH family, some not. Let’s start with a glance at some of the news coverage:
We were so thrilled to see this getting underway that our own founder, Susan Madden Lankford, donated some of the original art from downTown USA to help dress up the walls.
A Collaborative Effort
Transparency is a good thing, in my opinion. So, let’s take a look at the organizations behind this new facility.
PATH San Diego is taking the lead as the Overall Building and Services Operator. The building is owned and being developed by Affirmed Housing Group and PATH Ventures.
The Founding Partners for the venture are Affirmed Housing Group, PATH Ventures, PATH, and the Family Health Centers of San Diego You can follow them on Twitter at @AffirmedHousing.
Solari Enterprises acts as the property manager for the permanent housing portion of the project, while the Interim Housing Operations are handled jointly by the Alpha Project For The Homeless and PATH San Diego.
The Health Center is operated by Family Health Centers of San Diego
You can connect with them and with the project on Facebook as well: –Connections Housing and Joel Roberts
