Frequently Asked Questions
What is permanent supportive housing?
Permanent supportive housing (“PSH” for short) is rental housing wherein households that previously experienced homelessness and have disabling conditions enjoy access to safe, decent and affordable housing that is supplemented with an array of supportive services to promote health, wellness, housing stability and more. It is an evidence-based solution that results in improved health outcomes and significant societal savings in terms of the alternative cost of addressing homelessness through police, fire, emergency response, and healthcare systems.
The Corporation for Supportive Housing has a wealth of information about PSH on its website linked here: https://www.csh.org/supportive-housing-101/
What are the screening criteria for the housing?
Screening is used to help ensure that households approved for residency will abide by the terms of the lease, pay rent on time, take care of the property and unit, and allow all residents to peacefully enjoy their homes. Information collected through the screening process enables management to make informed and objective decisions to admit applicants who are most likely to comply with the terms of the lease. An effective screening policy will also ensure fair, consistent, and equal treatment of applicants. All screening criteria adopted by management are described herein and will be consistently applied to all applicants in a non-discriminatory fashion and in accordance with all applicable fair housing and civil rights laws.
Housing First policy will be practiced by CVPM and all others involved in screening applicants. It will be practiced by minimizing barriers to enter housing and focusing on preventing loss of housing. Barriers are minimized by not adding preconditions for housing approval within the project beyond minimum qualifications, such as not mandating demonstration of sobriety, completion of addiction treatment or other programs, or compliance with a treatment regimen.
Management will take a holistic view when determining selection criteria. As such, negative credit, past criminal history, or lack of landlord references, or behaviors that indicate a lack of “housing readiness”, may not be taken into consideration to determine eligibility unless information revealed suggests that the applicant may pose a threat to the health and safety of other residents, guests, staff or vendors or to the property.
CVPM will not tolerate criminal activity on or around the complex. The Management Company will conduct a criminal background check. Criminal background checks will be completed for all prospective applicants including live-in attendants. To protect the community from threat to health and safety, convictions for violent crimes will be the basis for denial.
What services will be available?
Intensive Case Management Services (“ICMS”) will be provided by Century’s ICMS staff. These include the following services and approaches:
- Employ a “whatever-it-takes approach” to assist clients in their transition from homelessness to permanent housing. ICMS staff employs a whatever-it-takes approach to ensure clients are successful in permanent supportive housing. This means developing case plans, assist with connections to resources, accompanying clients to appointments, and much more. Staff understand that success in permanent supportive housing requires that the residents be fully empowered to create their individual service plan and will meet with clients at least once per week to assist with that plan and to check-in.
- Provide high-quality ICMS to all clients at Moonstone designed to assist homeless clients with achieving and maintaining health, mental health, and housing
- ICMS shall include but is not limited to outreach and engagement; intake and assessment: service planning; housing and rental assistance: linkages to health, mental health, substance use disorder services, and other supportive services; ongoing monitoring and follow-up; assistance with benefits establishment, transportation, and legal issues; crisis management; eviction prevention; client education; housing location services; coordination and collaboration with HFH partners; etc.
- Set goals with clients that are focused on housing stability, engagement, and interventions that support wellness and independence.
- Meet with households at least once per week assist with goals and check-in.
- Have a client-centered approach and provide excellent customer service that is sensitive to the challenges that homeless persons with a range of medical and behavioral health issues face as they move into and maintain permanent supportive housing.
- ICMS staff will also work with property management and other service providers and partners, to ensure seamless support is provided to the clients.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: ICMS staff maintain close relationships with DMH or other appropriate partners for behavioral health services, including substance abuse treatment, relapse prevention and support groups so services can be coordinated efficiently and effectively as needed
PHYSICAL HEALTH: ICMS staff will link client to an appropriate health care partner for physical health care, including routine, specialized and preventative care, and dental care. The South Bay Family Health Care Center is located several miles away.
INCOME AND BENEFITS SUPPORT: ICMS staff will assist their clients in applying for all benefits they are entitled to. This may include SSI, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, unemployment, etc. Case managers will provide support to residents in this process through education, connection to benefit provider, assistance with the application process, and advocacy as needed to complete the process. Most applications can be completed remotely, however if needed transportation will be provided by CORS. ICMS case management team will also assist clients with their educational and employment goals by helping them navigate benefits that they are eligible for such grants and scholarships, help them complete applications and enroll in local universities and job training programs in alignment with their housing/case management plan. If they need additional support, CORS will help link residents to local resources and partners. Case Manager will provide employment support such as job skills training, job readiness, job placement, job retention services, resume help, and interviewing to support clients seeking employment. Staff will also provide additional support and job placement services through linkages to partner agencies.
TENANT EDUCATION AND HOUSING RETENTION SUPPORT: The ICMS case management team will also make linkages to appropriate agencies to assist residents with legal issues, family support, etc. Case Managers are trained in the 4-step housing retention plan and will work with clients to learn the skills needed to be a good tenant and neighbor and will provide additional support and resources should their housing be jeopardized by behavioral or financial issues.
How is this different than the pallet shelter?
The Moonstone is permanent supportive housing. A resident will sign a lease and is responsible for their rent payment. There is no limit to how long a resident might reside at the Moonstone as long as they wish to reside here and continue paying rent and abiding by the terms of the lease. Residents at the Moonstone will be offered intensive case management services to promote their housing stability, life skills, and overall health and wellness. Alternatively, the pallet shelter offers temporary housing in non-permanent, modular structures, supplemented with supportive services provided by Harbor Interfaith Services and others.
What is the relationship with the pallet shelter?
Century has a longstanding relationship with the pallet shelter operator, Harbor Interfaith Services. The goal is to create an internal continuum of housing within the City of Redondo Beach from the pallet shelter and homeless court into the permanent supportive housing offered at The Moonstone.
How will residents apply for the housing?
As a supportive housing project, The Moonstone will utilize the Coordinated Entry System (“CES”), a referral service offered as part of the Los Angeles County Continuum of Care (“COC”) administered by LAHSA that provides housing and service opportunities based on highest need for people experiencing homelessness.
Harbor Interfaith Services (“HIS”) is the CES coordinator for this community (SPA 8) and will interview and verify applicants for homeless status and qualification for housing preferences. All qualified applications will be sent from the CES coordinator (“HIS”) to Century Villages Property Management.
Will residents be required to pay rent?
Yes, under the terms of the lease agreement each household will be required to pay rent which will equate to approximately 30% of their adjusted monthly income.
Is there a waitlist for the housing?
All applicants will be referred through the Coordinated Entry System (“CES”) by the referring agency (Harbor Interfaith Services) at the time the vacancy occurs. Applicants will be processed in order received from the referring agency. A site-based waiting list will not be maintained for supportive housing units.
Who will be residing at 716 S. Pacific Coast Highway?
Individuals that are currently experiencing chronic homelessness in the local community will reside at The Moonstone. We expect to create a continuum of housing from the Redondo Beach pallet shelter up and through permanent housing at The Moonstone.
When is this happening? What is the timeline?
Construction for The Moonstone began on 8/21/2023 and is anticipated to complete by 2/26/2024, with full occupancy by summer 2024.
Why was I not notified?
State law (AB-140) allows for the conversion of Project Homekey sites to permanent supportive housing on a “by right” basis. There was no discretionary zoning or planning action required by the City of Redondo Beach. Further, the project is statutorily exempt from CEQA.
What is Project Homekey?
Project Homekey is a State program to rapidly expand housing opportunities for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Approximately $1.4 billion in State resources have been made available in Project Homekey Round 2. Project Homekey is an opportunity for state, regional, and local public entities, in partnership with the private section, to develop a broad range of housing types, including but not limited to hotels, motels, hostels, single- family homes and multifamily apartments, adult residential facilities, and manufactured housing, and to convert commercial properties and other existing buildings to permanent or interim housing for the target population. More information can be obtained here: https://homekey.hcd.ca.gov/content/background
Where can I learn more about the Homekey projects and how it will affect my community?
www.Homekey.hcd.ca.gov/content/resources includes three case studies that provide information on the Homekey program.
Who applied for the Project Homekey funding for The Moonstone?
Century Affordable Development, Inc. and the County of Los Angeles jointly applied to the State of California Housing & Community Development Department for Homekey Funding in late January 2022.
How will the property be managed?
CVPM and CORS integrate the Housing First model within its projects, which ensures low barriers for admission and not having preconditions for entry — meaning there are no requirements for sobriety time, for having an income, for service participation/treatment, etc. That said, CVPM and CORS are skilled in engaging residents, to include those who are chronically homeless, and ensures comprehensive services are offered so that the model is not “Housing Only”. Participation in services is continually offered and abstinence or harm reduction will be encouraged. Appropriate clinical interventions are utilized to address any issues that may jeopardize their housing.
What security measures will be incorporated?
Beyond the 24-hour property manager presence, the site will be outfitted with actively monitored video cameras. The premises will be well lit and a line-of-sight to each home will be maintained from the property manager’s home. 24-hour-per-day crisis intervention resources will be available. We will establish an open and active line of communication with the Redondo Beach Police Department. We will implement a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan (“ERP”) and perform regular emergency preparedness drills. Staff will be regularly trained on emergency response and de-escalation.
What does Housing First mean?
Housing First is an approach to serving the needs of our community’s most vulnerable by providing “low barrier” supportive housing opportunities as a platform for personal growth, health and wellness. The State of California has published a Housing First checklist which is linked here: https://homekey.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/Housing%20First%20Guidance%20Checklist.pdf
More information on the Housing First model can be obtained here: https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/
How will the property be staffed?
The property will be staffed with a full-time, on-site property manager who will reside in the single-family home on the property. The property manager will be available to respond to issues and/or incidents 24 hours per day. In addition, the Moonstone will benefit from one full-time case manager who will provide case management services to all 20 households and clinical support staff that are on call 24/7.
Who is managing the property?
Century Villages Property Management (“CVPM”) and Century Oasis Residential Services (“CORS”), affiliates of Century Housing Corporation will be managing the property and providing services, respectively. Staffing will include a full-time, on-site resident manager and the equivalent of one full-time case manager.
Who is the supportive service provider and what staffing will be available?
Century Oasis Residential Services (“CORS”) will serve as the Lead Service Provider (“LSP”). CORS will provide one full-time Intensive Services Case Manager (“ICMS”) to provide comprehensive case management services to all chronically homeless households. Program supervision will be provided through a Director, Resident Services who will oversee general service and programming. A Clinical Supervisor will provide clinical support and training to the Case Manager(s) and serves as the project manager for the Department of Health Services ICMS provider contract.
The VP and Director of Resident Services have over 25 years’ experience in supportive housing and more than a decade with Century. The team they oversee has vast experience providing case management in permanent supportive housing for some of the hardest-to-serve populations with great success in housing retention and positive outcomes, and is an established and experienced county-contracted provider of ICMS services.
Who is funding this project?
Century received funding from the State of California and the County of Los Angeles to acquire, rehabilitate and operate the property.
What is the cost of this project?
The cost of acquiring and rehabilitating The Moonstone is just over $400,000 per unit. This is a significantly more cost-effective than what it costs to produce similar, new construction supportive housing units. Former City of LA Controller, Ron Galperin, had been documenting the costs of the City of LA’s HHH program, a $1.2 billion bond measure that supports the construction of supportive housing. The costs of HHH units in construction had increased from $531,000 per unit in 2020 to $596,846 per unit in 2021. Fourteen percent of the units in construction exceed $700,000 per unit.
Who is Century Housing Corporation?
Century Housing Corporation is an LA-based, non-profit affordable housing lender, with over 25 years of experience throughout Southern California. Century’s affiliate, Century Affordable Development, Inc. will be the developer and owner of the property.
Where can I learn more about Century’s work?
Please visit www.century.org and www.centuryvillages.org to learn more about our permanent supportive housing experience which spans the course of more than two decades. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be conducting more community outreach with neighborhood groups.
How can I submit feedback regarding this project?
Please submit feedback to Kyle Fecik (email hidden; JavaScript is required), Development Associate
