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Real Life Stories
 Profile: AHP Grant Aids Development of Arizona Transitional Housing Facility
Product: The Affordable Housing Program (AHP) provides grants to facilitate the development of affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities for very low- to moderate-income households. The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco provided a $1 million AHP grant through Wells Fargo Bank Arizona.
Partners: Simpson Neighborhood Association, Homeward Bound, Wells Fargo Bank Arizona
The neighborhood already seemed to be in a tailspin. So when Paul Enniss, President of the Simpson Neighborhood Association, received a notice that the nonprofit organization Homeward Bound was planning to build an 80-unit transitional housing complex on a 5-acre vacant lot in his Phoenix, Arizona, neighborhood, he decided he’d had enough. He immediately contacted Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who was the city councilman for his area at the time, and voiced his opposition. “I understood his concerns. The neighborhood was on the edge and any change could have a ripple effect on the community—either positive or negative,” says Mayor Gordon. “I knew that Homeward Bound’s other properties were very high quality, and I was confident that their presence would be a positive influence on this neighborhood. So I was more than willing to support this.” He suggested that Paul keep an open mind, research Homeward Bound’s other properties, and then form an opinion.
Paul did his due diligence, visually inspecting more than 60 of Homeward Bound’s properties and researching police records and zoning violations for each. “I couldn’t find anything wrong with any of the properties. I was actually very impressed,” says Paul. Other neighbors shared his concerns, but the initial community resistance was overcome after more than a year of meetings that included Homeward Bound executives, community representatives, local residents, and police.
From this effort, theThunderbirds Family Village was born. A nationally recognized model for transitional housing, the Thunderbirds provides furnished two-bedroom apartments for 80 women and 120 children on a gated campus with 24-hour security. The development caters to single mothers who are homeless, at risk for homelessness, or victims of domestic violence. Services include case management, mental health services, a wellness clinic, a dental clinic, a childcare center, and an emergency pantry that provides food, clothing, and household goods to families in need. The campus includes a variety of recreational activities, including a library, a 1,000 square-foot recreation center for children, and a basketball court. The Thunderbirds functions as a one-stop location where all of Homeward Bound’s clients, including those who live off-site, can access the nonprofit’s resources and services.
Residents may stay at the Thunderbirds up to two years, and they must be employed as part of the program. Thirty percent of their income pays their rent, and 10% must be saved. “We expect our residents to be working within two weeks of joining the program,” says Dana Bailey, Special Events and Public Relations Manager at Homeward Bound. “We want our residents to hit the ground running,” says Milon Pitts, Client Services Manager at Homeward Bound. “This is not a handout program. We’ll bend over backwards to provide assistance, but first they have to show initiative.”
February 2005
Back to Real Life Stories
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Real Life Stories
Profile: AHP Grant Aids Development of Arizona Transitional Housing Facility
Product: The Affordable Housing Program (AHP) provides grants to facilitate the development of affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities for very low- to moderate-income households. The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco provided a $1 million AHP grant through Wells Fargo Bank Arizona.
Partners: Simpson Neighborhood Association, Homeward Bound, Wells Fargo Bank Arizona
The neighborhood already seemed to be in a tailspin. So when Paul Enniss, President of the Simpson Neighborhood Association, received a notice that the nonprofit organization Homeward Bound was planning to build an 80-unit transitional housing complex on a 5-acre vacant lot in his Phoenix, Arizona, neighborhood, he decided he’d had enough. He immediately contacted Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who was the city councilman for his area at the time, and voiced his opposition. “I understood his concerns. The neighborhood was on the edge and any change could have a ripple effect on the community—either positive or negative,” says Mayor Gordon. “I knew that Homeward Bound’s other properties were very high quality, and I was confident that their presence would be a positive influence on this neighborhood. So I was more than willing to support this.” He suggested that Paul keep an open mind, research Homeward Bound’s other properties, and then form an opinion.
Paul did his due diligence, visually inspecting more than 60 of Homeward Bound’s properties and researching police records and zoning violations for each. “I couldn’t find anything wrong with any of the properties. I was actually very impressed,” says Paul. Other neighbors shared his concerns, but the initial community resistance was overcome after more than a year of meetings that included Homeward Bound executives, community representatives, local residents, and police.
From this effort, the
Thunderbirds Family Village was born. A nationally recognized model for transitional housing, the Thunderbirds provides furnished two-bedroom apartments for 80 women and 120 children on a gated campus with 24-hour security. The development caters to single mothers who are homeless, at risk for homelessness, or victims of domestic violence. Services include case management, mental health services, a wellness clinic, a dental clinic, a childcare center, and an emergency pantry that provides food, clothing, and household goods to families in need. The campus includes a variety of recreational activities, including a library, a 1,000 square-foot recreation center for children, and a basketball court. The Thunderbirds functions as a one-stop location where all of Homeward Bound’s clients, including those who live off-site, can access the nonprofit’s resources and services.
Residents may stay at the Thunderbirds up to two years, and they must be employed as part of the program. Thirty percent of their income pays their rent, and 10% must be saved. “We expect our residents to be working within two weeks of joining the program,” says Dana Bailey, Special Events and Public Relations Manager at Homeward Bound. “We want our residents to hit the ground running,” says Milon Pitts, Client Services Manager at Homeward Bound. “This is not a handout program. We’ll bend over backwards to provide assistance, but first they have to show initiative.”
February 2005
Back to Real Life Stories
© 2000-2008 Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
