Live Week: Shoutout Signal Hill!
Usually, our “live” week stories lift up a specific neighbor’s journey through our housing programs and in to their homes…But today, we’re giving a big shoutout to the City of Signal Hill for teaming up with us to launch a game changing rental assistance program!
This pilot program is the first of its kind in Signal Hill, and it’s helping more neighbors stay in their homes and off the streets. Signal Hill’s motto is “A Beacon of Progress,” and we’re excited to honor them for stepping up and being exactly that by making things happen for their community!
So… let’s dive in!
I (Javvy) had the honor of getting some insight from Jason, our Housing Programs Director, and he shared some great information with me. (Thanks Jason!)
Like most of our history, this all started with consistent relationship building. We’ve worked with SPA 7 and cities like Bellflower, Norwalk, and Paramount for years, and Signal Hill’s homeless liaison, who’s known us forever, reached out when they saw a need in their community and decided they wanted to do something about it. Jason said it best: “They heard how we love on our community and wanted in. That’s the KCB way. Better together, always.”
This is no small step, either. The City of Signal Hill City Council approved limited funding to provide financial assistance to 10 families to avoid eviction. That’s a huge move for a small city, and shows their dedication to helping their people in need!
The program kicked off this month, and it’s already given people real hope. Here’s how it works: The city sends us referrals of neighbors who need help, and we get to work, first doing a pre-screening to ensure they qualify for the program. “We make sure they can stay stable after the help,” Jason said. “It’s about real and lasting change, not just a quick fix.”
Signal Hill Mayor Keir Jones had this to say: “This program is designed to provide temporary assistance to families facing challenging circumstances, with the goal of preventing homelessness before it starts. The services are preventative in nature, recognizing that many families simply need the right resources and support during a difficult period. Through our homeless outreach efforts, we’ve seen that timely intervention can make all the difference. Often, a little help at the right time is all a family needs to remain stably housed. That’s what this program is all about.”
The need hit fast. In week one, we got 10 referrals! Now, not every one of those referrals qualified, but we’re aiming to link those neighbors up with other programs that they may qualify for to keep them going. “There’s so much need out there,” Jason said. “We’re doing all we can to point people to help.”
What’s awesome is seeing families stay in their homes because of this teamwork. KCB, Signal Hill, and landlords throughout the city all pitching in. Signal Hill’s already a gold standard with their attention to homelessness. Last year, Signal Hill became the first city in LA County to achieve a “functional zero homelessness,” (You can read that article here!) and even without a homeless shelter in their city, their efforts have resulted in shelter beds at other shelters being reserved for the people in their community who need them. And now, they’re taking proactive steps to prevent homelessness before it even starts. “I’m excited that a new city entrusts us to show their love for their people,” Jason said. “To me, that’s God’s love in action.”
To Signal Hill, Jason’s got one thing to say: “You guys are amazing. Your heart for your community is amazing, and we love working with you.” He’s hoping (and all of us here at KCB share this sentiment) that this pilot program keeps going for years to come and inspires other cities to do something similar with us. “When we all work together, we can get a lot more done, and continue to show love to our communities.” he said.
Speaking of working together, this partnership shows what’s possible when a city and KCB do just that. It reminds me of our mission, really. This is about giving neighbors a place to live, a chance to breathe, and a home to call their own. So to Signal Hill, a huge THANK YOU from all of us here at KCB! We look forward to continuing this partnership and pouring out the love we have for our neighbors to your community, and I look forward to writing up some Signal Hill success stories in the “live” weeks to come!
Want to help us keep things like this going? You can pitch in too and help with needs of our community! Visit our giving page on our website at kcbellflower.org/give or give us a call at 562-804-2189 to ask about giving options.
Let’s keep showing all of our neighbors what it means to really live, and continue working together as one.
Until next time…