Creating Homes through Collaboration

On January 24th, Mercy Housing California and the St. Anthony Foundation celebrated the groundbreaking of Vera Haile Elder Housing and the St. Anthony’s Dining Room. The Vera Haile Elder Residence, located on 121 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco’s Tenderloin will consist of 90 new homes for low-income seniors and a new St. Anthony’s Dining Room and kitchen below.

Many community leaders and notable dignitaries gathered for these memorable events. Notable speakers for the groundbreaking of Vera Haile Elder Residence included: Suzanne Swift, Barry Stenger and Tyrone Hopper of the St. Anthony Foundation, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Edwin Lee, Susan Koret of the Koret Foundation, Mercy Housing California and St. Anthony Foundation financial partners and Father John Hardin.

Falling in Love with the New Madonna Residence

On February 8th, residents and community leaders gathered for the celebration of the new Madonna Residence. With an abundance of community services, the new Madonna has lots of space for residents to participate in health and social activities –all important for reducing isolation and aging in place.

During the event, Billie Akers shared her thoughts on living at the Madonna Residence, “My own home means I get to work on my health, feel safe and stable and have time for hobbies..but most of all, I have found myself a home with lots of love. A community of ladies and friends and we have so much fun.”

Speakers for the Madonna Residence dedication included: Olsen Lee, Mayor’s Office of Housing, Margot Antonetty, San Francisco Department of Public Health and Todd Fabian, National Equity Fund, Linda Pasquinucci, St. Anthony Foundation and Billie Akers, Resident of the Madonna Residence.

7^th and H Street Apartments

The commitment to housing the most vulnerable doesn’t stop in San Francisco. In Sacramento, California, the construction of 150 homes at the 7^th and H Street Apartments was also completed in December 2012. Many new residents have moved in. Paired with WellSpace Health’s on-site health clinic and located conveniently in downtown Sacramento, residents have a chance to thrive in place.

This mixed-use 8-story affordable home is very energy efficient and provides extensive community space, comprehensive resident services, a health clinic and ground floor commercial retail located close to public transportation.

Preserving Homes and History

In addition to preserving and creating housing for seniors, Mercy Housing also completed the renovation of The Arlington Hotel. The Arlington serves formerly homeless individuals and provides tailored on-site resident programming and counseling. During the renovation, many of our residents were relocated temporarily and have now happily returned home. Now, residents have access to their own personal restrooms and kitchens –all important for independent living.

The community gathered in mid-February to commemorate the historic preservation and renovation of The Arlington Hotel. Notable speakers included: Claudia Cappio of the California Housing Finance Agency, Supervisor Jane Kim of District 6, Olsen Lee of the San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office of Housing, Margot Anthonetty of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Lori Saito of Wells Fargo Bank, Christine Carr of Silicon Valley Bank, Chris Cody of St. Vincent de Paul and Frank Newsome, resident at the Arlington.

Learn more about The Arlington in this brief video:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8KAc1jPI2g?rel=0]