Holos breaks Ground on Safe Harbor II - Creating Supportive Housing for Families
From Left to Right: Victoria Weiss, Holos Board Secretary, Natasha Pfeiffer, Senior Loan Officer of Rocky Mountain Community Reinvestment Corporation, John Maceri, TPC Homes President and CEO of the People Concern, Cristian Ahumada, Executive Director and CEO of Holos, Margarita Lares, Chief Programs Officer for HACLA, Craig Arceneaux, Assistant General Manager of LAHD, and Andrew Wong, Senior Vice President of Comerica Bank.
Holos Communities’ Executive Director & CEO Cristian Ahumada, with TPC Homes President and CEO of The People Concern John Maceri, were joined Craig Arceneaux, the Assistant General Manager for LAHD, Margarita Lares, Chief Programs Officer for HACLA, Andrew Wong, Senior Vice President of Comerica Bank, Natasha Pfeiffer, Senior Loan Officer of Rocky Mountain Community Reinvestment Corporation, and NEF’s Originations Officer, Lizzet Alvarez, for the ceremonial groundbreaking of Safe Harbor II.
Safe Harbor II is a partnership between Holos Communities and TPC Homes, delivering 40 units of permanent supportive housing to the community of Wilmington. The four-story building will include 39 two-bedroom residences and one manager’s unit, alongside three courtyards, a native drought-tolerant garden, community room, supportive service offices, and on-site property management. The development will serve formerly unhoused families in LA County Service Planning Area 8, pairing stable homes with on-site services to support long-term housing stability. This project complements Safe Harbor I, Holos Communities’ neighboring collaboration with TPC Homes, which will be breaking ground later this year.
Both Safe Harbors were brought to life through HHH funding aimed at creating alternative methods of funding housing. The project was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflation that followed the pandemic threatened to make the project infeasible as costs increased dramatically. To bring this site to life, TPCHomes reached out to Holos Communities to bring the team’s expertise and grow a partnership to bring the project to life.
“While Holos has developed hundreds of units of homeless housing, most of these have been for single individuals. Safe Harbor II will exclusively focus on families and children. The data shows that unsheltered families have been increasing but many go unnoticed because they are living in their cars, motels, etc. Our mission it to create spaces for all and this furthers our commitment to achieve that” said Cristian Ahumada, Executive Director and CEO of Holos, Inc.
The site’s landscape design plays a central role in both sustainability and community well-being. Safe Harbor II is designed to support water conservation, drought resistance, and community building. The outdoor spaces will feature 19 species of native and drought-tolerant plants, vines, bamboo, and three types of trees, including Chinese Elm trees. These elements will create a calming, colorful environment that contributes to cooling and long-term climate resilience.
“Permanent supportive housing works because it combines safe, affordable homes with the ongoing support people need to remain housed,” said John Maceri, President of TPC Homes and CEO of The People Concern. “Safe Harbor II reflects our commitment to building high-quality, sustainable housing rooted in care, dignity, and long-term stability for families who have experienced homelessness.”
Safe Harbor II has shared laundry rooms on each floor as well as a fourth-floor roof deck that provides seating, planters, and beautiful views. The development will include a children’s play area, a courtyard barbecue space for community gatherings, shaded seating areas, and a dog run emphasizing the project’s focus on quality of life and family-centered design.
“No family and no child should ever have to experience the trauma of homelessness," said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). “This housing community represents the purpose-driven development Los Angeles needs to meet this moment, acknowledging that homelessness is a crisis far too many children must endure. At HACLA, we know that housing is the essential foundation for stability, opportunity, and long-term well-being. We are proud to stand with Holos and TPC to create safe, affordable homes in Wilmington where families can stay and grow together.” HACLA is providing Project-Based Vouchers for 34 of the units, ensuring that families receive essential support for their housing costs, which is vital for their long-term stability.
Safe Harbor II is located near essential services and community amenities. Wilmington’s commercial core along Avalon and Anaheim Street is less than half a mile away, with Wilmington Urgent Care and Family Clinic nearby as well. For recreation, Wilmington Recreation Center is a 10-minute walk from the site, and Wilmington Waterfront Park is about 15 minutes away. In addition, nearby bus lines connect the project to Downtown Long Beach, long-term and short-term bicycle parking will be provided to encourage alternative transportation options Residents will also enjoy excellent access to daily needs, with Food 4 Less just a two-minute walk.
About Holos Communities
Founded in 2005, Holos Communities is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating spaces for all people to lead fuller lives. We approach the creation of spaces through a holistic lens as we work to end homelessness, combat global warming, and reverse racial inequity. Our spaces provide homes, services and jobs to individuals, families, and businesses while helping to strengthen neighborhoods and local economies.
www.holoscommunities.org
About The People Concern/TPC Homes
Building on The People Concern’s more than 60-year legacy of serving individuals experiencing homelessness and award-winning approaches to innovative development, TPC Homes is an owner-operator, property manager, and developer of affordable and permanent supportive housing. The People Concern is one of the largest social services agencies in Los Angeles County. Through their core principles of trauma-informed care, Housing First and harm reduction, they focus primarily on individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness, often with a behavioral health condition or substance use disorder.
www.thepeopleconcern.org / tpchomesla.org