Category Archives: Housing Projects

April 24 2019

Project HOME Raises More Than $10 Million at 30th Anniversary Gala

Donations, including landmark gift from Lynne and Harold Honickman, will support work to end and prevent homelessness in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 17, 2019)—Project HOME announced today that it raised a total of $10 million at its 30th Anniversary Gala at the Marriott Downtown Philadelphia on April 16, 2019. Attendees and committed citizens donated $3.5 million leading up to the gala. During the event, more than 1,400 civic and business leaders, philanthropists, and young adults had the opportunity to make additional gifts to Project HOME in multiples of 30, with Jon Bon Jovi providing a $300,000 gift from the JBJ Soul Foundation. Lynne and Harold Honickman, who were honored with a lifetime achievement award during the gala, committed an additional $6 million to help Project HOME reach the $10 million mark.

“When Project HOME began 30 years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have thanks to the support of so many generous and visionary individuals,” said Sister Mary Scullion, Project HOME co-founder and Executive Director. “We have ambitious plans for the funds we raised that will address the needs and challenges of individuals and families struggling with homelessness, poverty, mental health issues, and substance use disorder. We’re grateful to the entire Project HOME community for their commitment and wish to extend a special thank you to Lynne and Harold Honickman for their ongoing leadership and support.”

During the gala, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon laid out a five-year plan focused on three core areas – increasing and preserving housing, expanding education and workforce development programs, and expanding outreach for chronically street homeless individuals. The event also included a presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Lynne and Harold Honickman honoring their legacy of support for Project HOME, which includes the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs in North Philadelphia. The gala was chaired by Marjorie and Jeffrey Honickman with honorary Co-Chairs Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi.

“To be surrounded at the gala by so many people in a shared community with a shared vision was electrifying,” said Lynne Honickman. “We’re proud to support Project HOME’s efforts to provide housing, education and other necessities for a meaningful life and believe deeply in Sister Mary and Project HOME’s credo – ‘None of us are home until all of us are home.’”

“One of the most important lessons of the last three decades is that no one person can do this alone,’ said Jon Bon Jovi. “The mission of ending homelessness and ensuring that everyone has a place to live…it takes everyone and what I like to call, “The Power of We’.”

Support for the Project HOME 30th Anniversary Gala and the organization’s ongoing work was provided by Bank of America, Susan and George Connell, Sheila and John Connors, Pam Estadt and Ira Lubert, Deborah M. Fretz, Janet and John Haas, Shirley and Richard Hahn, Joan and Daniel Hilferty, Lynne and Harold Honickman, Marjorie and Jeffrey Honickman, Independence Foundation, Liz and Matthew Kamens, Caroline and Sidney Kimmel, Maguire Foundation, Leigh and John Middleton, Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer and Joseph Neubauer, Linda Richardson and Steven Korman, Aileen and Brian Roberts, A. Morris Williams, Jr., and so many other generous people and organizations.

About MPOWER
MPOWER is a Project HOME Community Investment Partnership drawing on a powerful network of people and ideas that multiplies Project HOME’s impact in five key areas: investments, relationships, resources, advocacy, and evidence. In just five years, the partnership’s impact multiplier model has leveraged $25 million into $250 million which has helped to provide services to more than 15,000 people, including ending chronic street homelessness for more than 1,000 people.

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February 20 2019

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, Sands Cares Help Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Kick Off Housing Expansion Campaign with Initial Funding Commitments

UPDATE: Thanks to your support, JBJSF was able to unlock their match grant of $100k to contribute to the NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign in Southern Nevada. We ask that you work together to raise from 68% to 100% of our overall goal and help us make a difference.

New Campaign Will Support Additional Beds for Homeless and At-Risk Youth, Addressing a Key Strategy Outlined in the Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness

LAS VEGAS, February 20, 2019 – Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth today launched a Housing Expansion Campaign to generate funds for a new facility that will provide much-needed beds for homeless youth in Southern Nevada, and announced a $100,000 seed investment from Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) through Sands Cares. As a committed partner in the fight to end youth homelessness, Sands reached out to the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to join the effort, marking the Soul Foundation’s first charitable investment in Southern Nevada.

NPHY aims to raise $500,000 through the Housing Expansion Campaign and will use funds to purchase and develop a new multi-family property to flexibly house homeless and at-risk youth. Beyond the seed investment from Sands Cares, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation is pledging to match additional donations dollar for dollar, up to $100,000, to inspire the Las Vegas community to take action and help our region’s most vulnerable population.

“For a homeless youth, having a bed means more than just a place to sleep — it’s their foundation for a brighter future,” said Arash Ghafoori, executive director of NPHY. “Today, our community only has enough youth-dedicated beds to serve less than 22 percent of the young people experiencing homelessness on a given night in Southern Nevada. Expanding NPHY’s housing inventory means more youth not only have a place to sleep, they have the safety, stability, and support needed to grow and thrive.”

The NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign is targeting major gifts from corporations and foundations, and the community can also make significant impact by donating online at www.nphy.org/aplacetosleep.

“The high rate of youth homelessness and the dire need for housing in Southern Nevada was distressing to us,” said Jon Bon Jovi, Board Chairman of the JBJ Soul Foundation. “We are pledging support for this campaign through a matching grant because we want to motivate others to take action. Together, we can give homeless youth more than just a place to sleep – we will provide them with the resources they need for self-sufficiency and success.”

Since 2006, the JBJ Soul Foundation has worked to break the cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness through developing partnerships, creating programs and providing grant funding to support innovative community benefit organizations. The foundation has helped provide funding for more than 600 units of affordable and supportive housing in 10 states for thousands of people including youth and veterans.

“We knew that getting the JBJ Soul Foundation involved in Southern Nevada would be a great catalyst for our community, having seen the amazing results they have accomplished in other parts of the country,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs at Las Vegas Sands. “We hope to see a big community rally around the campaign momentum started by the JBJ Soul Foundation and Sands Cares. It’s imperative that we give our community’s vulnerable youth a fresh start.”

The new housing facility will add significant capacity to an already under-resourced support system for homeless youth in Southern Nevada. NPHY’s planned multi-family property will not only provide beds for youth, but also a foundation for delivering a myriad of services to put homeless youth on a pathway to self-sufficiency. Youth in NPHY’s housing programs also receive wraparound support services, including one-on-one case management with a licensed social worker, life skills classes, therapy, workforce readiness training, educational counseling, transportation assistance, enrichment opportunities, and referrals to a wide range of community resources.

The NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign comes in direct response to the recently released Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness, which mapped out a strategy of increasing housing through innovative funding partnerships such as this one. Unveiled at the second annual Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit, presented by NPHY and Sands Cares in November 2018, the plan addressed the alarming youth homelessness statistics that plague this region. Clark County’s metro area ranks fifth in the nation for the rate of unaccompanied homeless youth living on the streets or in shelters and the state of Nevada has the nation’s highest rate of unsheltered homeless youth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. Underscoring these numbers, Las Vegas was named the worst U.S. metropolitan area for providing affordable rental housing for its poorest families in 2018, with only 15 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 low-income renter households.

To learn more about NPHY’s capital campaign or make a campaign pledge, visit www.nphy.org/aplacetosleep.

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Contacts:

Lanette Rivera
Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth lanette@nphy.org
702-688-1013

Kristin Koca
Las Vegas Sands Corp. Kristin.Koca@sands.com
702-414-3218

Lauren Brajer
JBJ Soul Foundation lauren@jbjsoulfoundation.org
973-580-1575

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May 25 2018

JBJSF Joins HELP USA in Celebrating Groundbreaking of Walter Reed Project

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation joined HELP USA, the City of D.C., and other partners on Friday, May 25, 2018 in a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Walter Reed project in Washington, D.C.. JBJ Soul Foundation is proud to support the 77 units of “services-enriched” affordable housing for homeless Veterans. HELP USA will provide social and supportive services to the residents, and the units will be furnished to allow for immediate occupancy for individuals and their families who may be coming from shelters or other transitional housing.

The site will eventually become “The Parks at Walter Reed” and will contain 2,100 residential units (of which 432 will be affordable units), retail space with a grocery store anchor, office space, a hotel, charter schools, medical uses, arts and entertainment uses in addition to 20 acres of open park space. The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is still located on this property and will remain a fully operational hospital.

“The Walter Reed campus has a storied history of serving the men and women of our armed forces, and we are proud to be building housing on this site that will continue that tradition. HELP strongly believes that stable housing is the foundation of every other social service. By developing apartments for homeless veterans and providing on-site services we are helping people begin to build better lives,” said Tom Hameline, President and CEO, HELP USA.

About HELP USA

HELP USA is one of the nation’s largest homeless service providers and low-income housing developers serving at-risk populations including families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence. HELP USA currently serves more than 8,000 people every day at over 50 programs and residences across five states. Since its founding in 1986, HELP USA has served more than 500,000 men, women, and children, and developed in excess of 2,500 units of housing.

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April 24 2018

JBJSF Joins Project HOME in Celebrating Grand Opening of Ruth Williams House

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation joined Project HOME and other partners today in celebrating the grand opening of the Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building in Philadelphia. The new building provides a total of 88 units of affordable housing.

JBJ Soul Foundation is proud to support the 20 units dedicated to young adult housing for youth experiencing homelessness, are formerly homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.

Read below for the full press release:

Project HOME Announces Grand Opening of Ruth Williams House at the
Gene & Marlene Epstein Building

Newest Residence at 2415 North Broad Street Made Possible by the Vision and Generosity of Local Advocates and Long-time Supporters of Project HOME

PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 24, 2018) – Project HOME today announced that the Grand Opening of its newest residence, Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building will be held on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. The residence, located at 2415 North Broad St., provides 88 units of affordable housing (20 dedicated to young adults) to men and women who are homeless, formerly homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, as well as low-income members of the community. The building was named in honor of Ruth Williams and Gene and Marlene Epstein – long-time supporters of Project HOME and powerful advocates for ending homelessness in the city of Philadelphia.

“We were heartbroken when Ruth passed away before she could see this incredible project come to fruition, yet we know her spirit and commitment to let everyone live their best life is ever present here,” said Sister Mary Scullion, Project HOME co-founder and Executive Director. “Ruth lived her life by a simple creed – ‘Love, teach, share.’ This new residence honors Ruth’s life and her meaningful impact on Project HOME’s work by connecting people to education and employment services, as well as medical services. Ruth’s and Morris’ generosity helped to create a place of stability and revitalization for the North Broad Street neighborhood.”

Residents of Ruth Williams House will be connected to medical, behavioral-health, and recovery services through Project HOME’s Health Services Program at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center, and will be eligible to receive employment and education services through Project HOME’s Workforce Solutions Program.

“Our relationship with Gene and Marlene Epstein dates back to the 1980s,” said Sister Mary. “Since then, the Epsteins have worked tirelessly to create the awareness, passion, and funding needed to end homelessness in Philadelphia for good. This new residence is a tribute to their conviction and leadership, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Marlene and I are so excited for this property to officially open its doors,” said Gene Epstein of the Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund. “Project HOME has a long track record of being a source for good in our city, and we’re proud to support an organization having such a positive impact.”

On April 9, a delegation of federal and local elected officials, including Congressional representatives Dwight Evans, Bob Brady, and Brendan Boyle, visited Ruth Williams House to highlight this project as a successful use of federal investment to solve serious urban problems, and to stress the need for a continued role by the federal government in addressing the affordable housing crisis in the United States.

Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building is the fifth project funded by MPOWER, a Project HOME community investment partnership that is multiplying the impact of Project HOME’s proven approaches to breaking the cycle of homelessness. The partnership focuses on revitalizing entire communities, including building new homes and programs to support the vulnerable individuals of today and tomorrow and breaking the cycle of homelessness for young adults.

About Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building

Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building is a five-story, approximately 80,000-square-foot building, with 88 total efficiency units, and approximately 2,400 square feet of first-floor retail space. It was designed and constructed with sustainability in mind and has achieved LEED silver status. It includes on-site laundry and a community space for residents. Twenty of its units are dedicated to young adult housing, virtually doubling Project HOME’s capacity to house youth who are or are at risk of becoming homeless.

Just two blocks from Temple University, the development is located in a “transportation hub,” and the site is identified as an ideal location for transit-oriented development. It is in walking distance of both a subway stop and regional rail stop, as well as four bus routes. The project supports Philadelphia’s goals to develop the North Broad Street Corridor, reestablish North Broad Street as a mixed use urban area, promote Philadelphia’s image as a “walker’s city,” and build connections along the North Broad Street corridor.

Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building is made possible through the support of public and private partners including Ruth and Morris Williams, Gene & Marlene Epstein, Leigh and John Middleton, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Philadelphia Housing Authority, City of Philadelphia, Division of Housing & Community Development, Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Capital One, National Equity Fund, FHLBank Pittsburgh, PNC Bank, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, JBJ Soul Foundation, Janet and John Haas, The Neubauer Family Foundation, TD Bank, Sheila and John Connors, Deborah M. Fretz, Independence Foundation, Toby Strogatz and Stephen Klein, and Paul L. Newman Foundation, Le Vine Family Foundation, and Jeannie and Michael O’Neill.

About MPOWER

MPOWER is a Project HOME Community Investment Partnership drawing on a powerful network of people and ideas that multiplies Project HOME’s impact in five key areas: investments, relationships, resources, advocacy, and evidence. In just five years, the partnership’s impact multiplier model has leveraged $20 million into $200 million which has helped to provide services to more than 15,000 people, including ending chronic street homelessness for more than 800 people.

About Project HOME

Since 1989, Project HOME has helped thousands of people break the cycle of homelessness and poverty by providing a continuum of care that includes street outreach, supportive housing and comprehensive services that focus on health care, education and employment through both adult and youth education and enrichment programs at the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs and community-based health care services at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. Project HOME and its partners have pledged to end chronic street homelessness in Philadelphia. To learn more, visit www.projecthome.org.

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January 30 2018

A ‘Hub of Hope’ For Those in Need

Project HOME, City of Philadelphia and SEPTA Open First-of-Its-Kind Facility to Assist City’s Homeless

PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 30, 2018) — Project HOME, the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA held a ribbon cutting ceremony today to celebrate the opening of the new Hub of Hope in the Center City sub-concourse. The 11,000-square-foot facility is operated by Project HOME and provides a gateway to vital services and care for Philadelphia’s homeless. The Hub of Hope is a first-of-its-kind engagement center for homeless created via a partnership with a social services agency, a transportation authority and a municipality.

“SEPTA is not only in the transportation industry, we are also in the community service business and we are proud of our role as a partner in working to find solutions to the Philadelphia region’s needs,” said SEPTA Chairman Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. “Beyond the human toll of homelessness and poverty, homelessness presents unique challenges for SEPTA and our customers, especially in Center City. That is why SEPTA and our Board are proud to support the Hub of Hope to help those struggling with homelessness.”

Philadelphia Mayor James F. Kenney added, “We know that City government can’t solve homelessness alone. This kind of partnership shows what we can do when we all work together. I hope other businesses will take SEPTA’s lead. They invested their money and leadership in the development of this site, stepping up to be part of a creative solution.”

Since 2012, the Hub of Hope—operating in a 150 square-foot storefront in Suburban Station from January-April—has placed thousands of those experiencing chronic homelessness into shelter, treatment and other housing options. In 2017, 1,462 individuals visited the Hub of Hope more than 11,000 times. The new permanent facility will be open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and on weekends, year-round, not just during winter’s cold months.

“Project HOME is proud to partner with SEPTA, the City of Philadelphia, and many other committed partners to establish a larger, permanent, year-round location for the Hub of Hope,” said Sister Mary Scullion, Project HOME co-founder and Executive Director. “Thanks to the incredible dedication and leadership of this partnership, the new Hub of Hope will offer a safe place where people can enjoy a warm cup of coffee, take a shower and wash laundry, and speak to peers or case managers to begin the process of finding a permanent home. It creates even greater opportunities to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to treatment, medical care and ultimately stable, supportive housing.”

The new Hub of Hope is located in an underground concourse space that was last used 25 years ago by the Philadelphia Police Department Transit Division.

“We knew there was a location that would give Project HOME the room its staff needed to better serve the city’s homeless population,” said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel. “We realized it was a huge undertaking to have the facility up and running by the winter. But I knew the team of in-house employees and contractors would meet the challenge. And they did, working around the clock. I am proud of their commitment to meet the demands this job brought.”

Construction on the facility started in mid-August 2017. Staff at the new Hub of Hope will continue to engage, assess and place individuals experiencing homelessness into shelter, treatment or other long-term housing opportunities with supportive services. The center also includes shower and laundry facilities for visitors.

While the new Hub of Hope is the result of a partnership with Project HOME, the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA, start-up funding for the facility was made possible through the support of many individuals, organizations and businesses, including: Bank of America; Lynne and Harold Honickman; Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation; Leigh and John Middleton; Aileen and Brian Roberts; Wawa, Inc.; and A. Morris Williams, Jr.

“Wawa is proud to provide support, which includes our coffee to anyone visiting the Hub of Hope all year long,” said Dave Simonetti, Sr. Director of Store Operations for Wawa. “We are committed to partnering with the City and others to support programs that make a difference in the lives of all citizens. We commend Project HOME, the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA for imagining this exceptional space and we are honored to join the partnership that made it a reality.”

“This partnership remains committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness” said Jon Bon Jovi, Chairman of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. “The Hub of Hope is another example of what we like to call the ‘Power of We’”.

“Thank you to all of those who put their faith in this project and believe in the mission of Project HOME. Working together, we will make a difference in the lives of thousands in our region,” said Deon.