To help low-income residents increase their income and gain self-sufficiency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Christopher Patterson announced the designation of NHS’ Center for Sustainable Communities in Compton – a visionary one stop hub of community resources led by Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County. As a HUD-approved EnVision Center, NHS’ Center for Sustainable Communities joins a growing number of communities across the region taking this vital step to collocate support services for the benefit of its residents.
The announcement was made this week during a podcast https://youtu.be/ZxkmFlFtb4I hosted by the Center’s Chief Executive Officer, Lori Gay, featuring an interview with Administrator Patterson.
HUD’s EnVision Center demonstration achieve self-sufficiency and, thereby, making limited federal resources available to help offers families support to help them lift others onto this path. It is premised on the fact that financial support alone is insufficient to solve poverty. Intentional and collective efforts across various organizations are needed to realize a more holistic path to foster lasting self-sufficiency.
“We couldn’t do our work of serving communities without the support of partners like HUD to get it done. The designation as an Envision Center for our Center for Sustainable Communities in Compton is the highlight of 2020. Thank you for the support we need to help families and youth make their dreams a reality,” said Lori Gay, President & CEO of NHS.
“We won’t measure success by the number of people who are served by the NHS Center for Sustainable Communities in Compton,” said Administrator Patterson. “Success will hinge on the number of persons who achieve greater self-sufficiency and the extent to which they no longer require program assistance and gain the financial wherewithal to rent, or even buy, their own homes.”
EnVision Centers provide communities with a centralized hub to access support in the following four pillars: (1) Economic Empowerment, (2) Educational Advancement, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Character and Leadership.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found collocating government services could be a more effective way of helping low-income Americans. EnVision Centers aim to break down the silos in government that perpetuate inefficiencies.
Since 1984, NHS has served clients and strengthened neighborhoods, helping to improve the quality of life for families in need. We have developed and rehabilitated more than 25,600 housing and commercial units, placed 4.7 million families on the road to homeownership, created 250 block clubs, employed 258 youth, and reinvested more than $7.1 billion back into some of our County’s most underserved communities.
