A Message from Executive Director David Gillanders:
Dear Friends of Pathways,
As you know, for the last several months Pathways been working closely with the City of Fullerton to develop units of Permanent Supportive Housing to provide safe, stable housing for our most vulnerable neighbors: people experiencing chronic homelessness right here in Fullerton.
For the last several months, there have also been many developments in the issue of homelessness at the county and state levels. This is a historic moment in the fight against homelessness, and Pathways is proud to be at the forefront of the struggle.
There are many factors that will play a role in the potential success of housing communities like this across California – leadership, funding, legislation, policy, and of course, partnership with local municipalities.
And at this time, with so many critical decisions still yet to be decided, Pathways is opting to press pause on our Keystone project.
We at Pathways know that Permanent Supportive Housing is the right housing intervention for our most vulnerable population. We as a community know that we must prioritize our chronically homeless neighbors who are hanging on every day just to survive on our streets, without access to basic and adequate shelter, which is vital to improve their health and ensure their stability.
But the current Federal lawsuit remains ongoing in Orange County, and its lasting impact on homeless services is still unclear. And there are many pieces of potential legislation yet to be decided at the state level that will determine regulations, best practices, and how PSH projects like Keystone are funded.
With all these moving parts, we know that we have to stay smart about this. We need to be as strategic as possible with our next steps for this project.
That’s why, after extensive deliberation with the City of Fullerton, we’ve decided to withdraw from the formal process of requesting exclusive negotiating rights for 1600 W. Commonwealth at this time.
Pathways and the City of Fullerton will reassess the project in 2019, with a better understanding of the resources that will be available to fund projects like Keystone. We are confident that the City and other local municipalities will continue to offer their partnership and their commitment to finding tangible solutions to the complex problem of homelessness in our community.
In the meantime, Pathways will continue working to fulfill our mission of ending hunger and homelessness in North OC. We are committed to providing the highest quality of service to our community’s most vulnerable residents. We will be strategic every step of the way.
We ask that you continue to walk alongside us and help us create a society where none of our community members are forced sleep outside, unsafe, unsure, and unable to care for themselves.
You can support Pathways today by volunteering or making a donation to help the struggling people we serve. Every gift, of any size, makes a difference.
We ask that you continue to provide community support for all projects dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
We need people like you: people who are committed to the safety, health, and wellness of every single member of our community.
Thank you for your ongoing support and stay tuned for updates on our PSH projects next year.
With deepest gratitude,
David Gillanders ∙ Executive Director
dgillanders@pohoc.org ∙ (714) 680-3691 ext. 201
PS: If you’d like to get together for a cup of coffee and talk more about how we can work together to help our struggling neighbors, please reach out to me today! I’d love to connect with you.
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