UnitedHealthcare is the largest investor in PATH Metro Villas, a new 65-unit supportive-housing community under construction that will provide permanent homes to individuals and families who have been suffering from homelessness or struggling to find affordable housing.
The $12 million investment is part of UnitedHealthcare's nationwide initiative to help people live healthier lives by connecting them to safe, affordable housing with important on-site support services to improve their well-being.
When completed in the spring of 2018, Metro Villas will feature 65 apartment units adjacent to PATH facilities that provide comprehensive services and permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families. On-site services will include case management offices, community room with a teaching kitchen, on-site manager, security, picnic area and two roof terraces, among other amenities.
"Metro Villas is an important investment to connect people struggling with homelessness with safe, quality housing and health services that will help them live healthier lives," said Rob Falkenberg, CEO,
UnitedHealthcare of California. "This project brings together many partners in our community to help create innovative solutions to housing and better health."
Since 2011, UnitedHealthcare has invested $350 million to build 56 new community developments throughout the United States, creating over 2,700 new homes for people with the greatest needs. A key goal for the program is to fund innovative projects like PATH Metro Villas that provide greater access to affordable housing for people in need and helping improve their quality of life by integrating on-site services such as health care, job training and child care into the new communities.
UnitedHealthcare partnered with Enterprise Community Investment (Enterprise) to provide the $12 million in equity for PATH Metro Villas through the use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) approved by the state of California. UnitedHealthcare and Enterprise have worked together to invest $124 million in affordable-housing developments in eight states, including $28 million in California.
"Enterprise is proud of our partnership with UnitedHealthcare and grateful for its critical investment in affordable homes," said Charlie Werhane, president and CEO, Enterprise Community Investment. "By matchmaking the right partners, Enterprise supports well-designed, affordable homes connected to resources that allow residents to reach their full potential."
PATH Metro Villas is being developed by People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) in partnership with Affirmed Housing Group (AHG). Additional partners include the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services-Housing for Health, California Department of Housing & Community Development, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department.
"Today's groundbreaking is the culmination of many years of hard work and planning," said Amy Anderson, executive director, PATH Ventures. "We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from so many partners whose passion will help create this beautiful, high-quality housing community that will serve some of the most vulnerable in Los Angeles."
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission on Health, the affordability of housing has clear implications for health. The shortage of affordable housing limits families' and individuals' choices about where they live, often relegating lower-income families to substandard housing in unsafe, overcrowded neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty and fewer resources for healthy outdoor and exercise activities (e.g., parks, bike paths, recreation centers and activities). The financial burden of unaffordable housing can prevent families from meeting other basic needs including nutrition and health care, and is particularly significant for low-income families.
About Enterprise
Enterprise works with partners nationwide to build opportunity. We create and advocate for affordable homes in thriving communities linked to good schools, jobs, transit and health care. We lend funds, finance development and manage and build affordable housing, while shaping new strategies, solutions and policy. Over more than 30 years, Enterprise has created nearly 380,000 homes, invested $28.9 billion and touched millions of lives. Join us at www.EnterpriseCommunity.com or www.EnterpriseCommunity.org.
About PATH and PATH Ventures
PATH Ventures is part of the PATH family of agencies working together to end homelessness for individuals, families, and communities. We do this by developing and maintaining quality affordable housing and services that bring personal stability and an improved quality of life for people in need. PATH's agencies are in 22 locations from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. PATH has been serving the community since 1984. In honor of its 30th anniversary, PATH set a goal in 2013 to house 3,000 people by 2015. To date, the PATH family has housed over 3,200 people including more than 1,000 veterans, 1,000 families and 1,000 chronically homeless individuals. www.epath.org.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
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