SAN JOSE, Calif. – In Santa Clara County, a unique project aims to give foster youth the resources they need to be successful. It combines services – with dedicated housing – all in a new single location.
What we know:
When young adults exit the foster care system, finding housing is a top challenge. So now the county, the City of San Jose, and the non-profit sector have teamed up to fund and operate a new complex which has housing and services all under one roof.
The Parkmoor Community Apartments, and a resource center called ‘The Hub’, were dedicated on Monday. The Hub provides resources to get foster youth into the next phase of their lives. The complex is located at Parkmoor and Meridian avenues in San Jose.
Founder is former foster youth herself
“The whole goal was to have this ‘one stop shop’ for young people to get what they need so they could find stability and learn how to thrive in life,” said Dontae Lartigue, the co-founder of The Hub and a former foster youth.
Lartigue has been a key player pushing elected officials on this project, knowing firsthand the importance of housing. “If it wasn’t for housing I would not have had anything. All the grief and trauma that I have been through in my life – like the violence that I have been through in my life – I would not have been able to overcome that without stable housing,” Lartigue said.
Community leaders celebrated the opening on Monday with a ribbon-cutting but not before hearing what this project means for those who are living here or using the available services.
“As you can tell this is more than just an apartment building to me and a community. I truly love being part of a community where I can connect with others, meet new people, and make genuine friends in my own environment,” said Eloise Diaz, a resident of the new complex.
Feeling of belonging
Jasmine Randolph, who uses the services at The Hub, said: “To me, The Hub means community, connection and a place where I feel truly like I belong,” Randoph said. The complex has 81 units, with half set aside for the transitional age youth. The other units are for low income and very low-income households.
Inside The Hub, on the ground floor of the complex, services provided include mental health, legal aid, parenting classes, a tech lab, work spaces and educational programs. The Hub moved into this new space from a previous location – where it directly serves about 300 foster youth each month.
“I am especially thankful for the new and improved laundry room. It might sound really simple, OK, but for me, it means a lot. I have had to pay to do my laundry and now I can come closer to home and do it for free,” Randoph said.
Finding stability
Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said: “The Hub represents our belief that every young person in Santa Clara County deserves stability, support, and a real, meaningful, opportunity to thrive,” Ellenberg said.
The total project cost is about $79 million. Santa Clara County contributed $20 million, with $16 million from the 2016 “Measure A” affordable housing bond and another $4 million from a state program for supportive housing. The City of San Jose contributed nearly $16 million in construction funding.