Invest in Ending Homelessness in Hollywood  

The Center at Blessed Sacrament, a secular 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, is looking for investment partners to improve a 1920’s era former convent at 6363 Selma. The Center fulfills its mission to end chronic homelessness in Hollywood by providing an innovative purpose-driven program that works to get people off the street and into sustainable housing. It is a community resource that serves as a hub for more than a dozen agencies working together to end homelessness in Hollywood, improving life for everyone who works and lives here. Scope of Work The Center has secured construction bids to complete a $2M renovation of this 5,000 square foot two-story building, with a surrounding landscaped area for clients and community gatherings. The contractor will be Cannon Constructors and a construction committee reporting to the board will supervise. The project is anticipated to take 5 months to complete. Key funding partners The Center has secured a commitment of $1.5M from an Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) loan repayment allocation, dating back to the original Trizec Hahn development agreement (Hollywood & Highland). These funds have been held by the CRA, and were recently transferred to the city’s Economic & Workforce Development Department. With the help of Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, the City Council approved allocation of these funds for the Center’s rehabilitation project. In addition, our county supervisor for District 3, Zev Yaroslavsky, pledged a grant of $300,000 toward our project, contingent on our ability to raise an additional $200,000.

 Officers  

Dirk  Degreave,    President  Paramount  Contractors  &  

Developers    Peter  Freyer,  Vice  President  

Silicon  Valley  Bank  Vice  President  

 Kerry  Morrison,  Secretary  Hollywood  Property  Owners  

Alliance    

John  Ladner,  Treasurer  Gettlove  

 Members  of  the  Board  

Lowell  Anger  LA  County  District    Attorney    

 Kevin  Ballard,  S.  J.  

Blessed  Sacrament  Church    

Nancy  Beyda  ICEA  Childbirth  Educator  

 Yolanda  Brown  

Blessed  Sacrament  Church    

Fabio  Conti  Fabiolus  Cucina  

 Michael  Dalsin  

Stanmore  Capital  Partners    

Stormy  Haupt  General  Contractor  (ret’d)  

 Kathy  Khoo  Hill  

Kaiser  Permanente    

Al  Marsella,  CPA    

Christian  Scali  The  Scali  Law  Firm  

 John  Shaffner  

Shaffner/Stewart  

Gwendolyn Young Young Communications Group

Staff:  

Spencer  Downing    Nathan  French

 

6636  Selma  Avenue  Hollywood,  CA  90028  

t:  323.  871.8042  thecenterinhollywood.org  

   

How can you help? We are seeking six to eight key partners to provide grants of $10,000 to $100,000 to help us raise the $200,000 to secure the Yaroslavsky match. We need to raise these funds by August 15, 2014. All our partners will enjoy naming rights within the walls of The Center. Why renovate the Center? As Hollywood develops, it needs a more effective response to homelessness. Hollywood is a growing neighborhood in which thousands of new residents and workers are arriving in the next three to five years. In the next few years Hollywood will see nearly $2.5B in investment in commercial, retail and residential development. The Los Angeles Business Journal recently heralded the comeback of this 3.5 square mile community and said that developers are drawn to the “central location, walkability, proximity to transit hubs, the nearness of all the major entertainment studies, a diverse employment pool and great amenities.” (LABJ 4/21/14) Hollywood has also long been a known destination for individuals who are homeless. The Center and its partners have identified approximately 200 people who live on Hollywood's streets. We believe that over the next five years, we can move these individuals into permanent housing. Just as important, the Center will continue to be that place in the community where people connect after being housed, forestalling a fall back into homelessness. What is your return on investment? Your contribution supports a plan for long-term, sustainable solutions to an obvious social problem. Moreover, your investment in this capital project is highly leveraged by the UDAG grant and the commitment of funds from Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. You can be assured that the capable board of directors who guides all the affairs of this center are leaders in this community and aspire to create a resource that will fit seamlessly into the heart of this neighborhood, as it has for over 10 years. Finally, you can be assured that Hollywood’s continued progress toward housing its chronically homeless population will continue apace, and you will have the satisfaction of playing a key role in this endeavor.

 

   

 

 

Current images of the Center, located on the campus of the Blessed Sacrament Church

Rendering of Center renovation with landscaped community gathering area and courtyard.