AFFORDABLE LIVING FOR THE AGING

 Eradicate homelessness in Los Angeles County through programs designed to support homeless and low-income seniors

 Help communities better serve their aging populations by contributing housing and service solutions that expand upon the existing senior housing and aging services landscape

 Collaborate and coordinate with other organizations to increase the number of home share programs that are available in communities across the country

 Advocate with local government and private foundations to increase their investment in the home share model and resident services in senior housing

 Achieve greater scale of roommate matching/home share services throughout Los Angeles County

Continue to develop affordable senior housing with social services

 Evaluate and refine ALA's onsite resident services and property management model

 Demonstrate the effectiveness of senior housing with onsite resident services

 Promote best practices by contributing expertise in the form of technical assistance for other organizations' that want to build their capacity to support seniors and formerly homeless seniors in housing

 Pursue partnerships that leverage ALA's resident services and property management expertise for the purpose of developing exemplary models of senior housing with services

 Implement a strategic outreach effort to recruit participants for the home share program

 Introduce fee-for-service guidelines for the home share program that reflect its value as a community service and contributes to its sustainability over time

 Extend the services offered through ALA's home share program by providing in-home caregiving services to individuals who need help at home

ALA is positioned to build upon four decades of experience to scale its housing programs and services for the benefit of more individuals and entire communities. ALA took steps toward these goals by producing a Strategic Guide on shared housing, a Supportive Housing Guide, and by securing resources to evaluate its resident services programs. By implementing these projects, ALA created actionable recommendations that are informing the way forward.

In addition to producing credible resources grounded in the organization's areas of expertise, ALA's core assets include its leadership and board of directors. ALA's leadership team has a combined forty years of experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. ALA's board of directors lends their expertise in strategic communications, long-range planning, political influence, and ongoing financial support.

Community partnerships are also a significant component of ALA's success. ALA partners with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, City Department of Aging, Housing Authority, Culver City Senior Center, ONEgeneration Enrichment Center, Jewish Family Services, St. Barnabas Senior Services, USC's Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center, and Shelter Partnership, among others, in order to effectively service seniors in need. Direct service staff leverage this network to create satellite sites that enable seniors to seek services in locations that are convenient for them.

ALA is a member of the National Leadership Initiative to End Elder Homelessness which is led by HEARTH, Shelter Partnership, Leading Age, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. ALA is also a member of the National Shared Housing Resource Center a network of shared housing providers. Locally, ALA is a member of the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing, the Older Adults Housing Task Force and the Permanent Supportive Housing Providers' Work Group led by the United Way's Home for Good Campaign.

In 1978, after watching her grandfather go through a process of premature institutionalization, Janet Witkin, Founder of Affordable Living for the Aging (ALA), envisioned a new way for older people to live so could avoid early institutionalization. Janet established a Roommate Matching service for seniors as a Model Project for the Aging in the United States. Additionally, between 1982 and 1991, she built and renovated five affordable Cooperative Apartment Communities for seniors where they would have an opportunity to support one another and could age with dignity in safe, affordable housing.

Janet was a sought-after speaker and appeared on The Today Show, The Channel 4 News, NPR, KNX, KRTH–and at Princeton University, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Aging, the California and Minnesota State Legislatures. ALA's work has been featured in many publications, including the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Encyclopedia Britannica's 1986 Medical and Health Annual as an innovation in housing for the aging in America. Betty Friedan discussed Alternative Living for the Aging at length in her book The Fountain of Age.

Janet was gratified to see so many seniors living happily through ALA, she often said “People can achieve independence through interdependence" and she made this a reality for thousands of seniors.

Although Janet passed away in February 2009, ALA continues her tireless mission - helping low-income older people find safe, affordable housing where they can age with dignity, supported by their peers and social service staff. Today, as a tribute to Janet's benevolent vision and community spirit, we proudly continue the work of ALA, helping people with housing options that make a real difference in their lives.

Particularly at this very difficult time for low-income seniors in the Los Angeles area, the need for safe, affordable housing alternatives is severe. Given the current economic climate, we are seeing people become, understandably and sadly, increasingly desperate.

ALA currently provides an ongoing Shared Housing Program for seniors so that they may enjoy companionship, daily living support, and the ability to make ends meet. It is very cost-effective for people to share housing. In addition to the financial benefits, shared housing can also help people maintain their independence longer, receive daily living support, and provide affordable housing options for low-income renters.

ALA manages twelve low-income senior apartment buildings and provides supportive social services to 232 residents through Department of Mental Health funding. ALA's demonstration of strong program outcomes has positioned the organization as a premier provider of permanent supportive housing for seniors in Los Angeles.