Item 14 - Pre -Commitment of Affordable Housing Funds for Illumination Foundation

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Pre -Commitment of Affordable Housing Funds for Illumination Foundation July 18, 2023 Page 6 Beyond those services provided to all residents, children will be assigned a Children and Family Program Navigator who is responsible for overseeing the specific needs of children. Developmental screeners will be completed to ensure children are meeting important developmental benchmarks and staff will have access to a clinician to determine appropriate interventions when benchmarks are not met. The navigator will coordinate care for the children, such as referrals to internal and external resources, like regional center, literacy development, and children vision and dental clinics. Through our partnership with Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), children are able to receive priority appointments to address their health needs. Lastly, the unique characteristics of this development will present important service opportunities. The on -site preschool operated by Head Start will ensure that appropriately aged children will receive access to schooling and daycare. An on -site garden and chicken coop will allow for the development of community and wellness among residents. The intergenerational nature of the campus will allow for Illumination Foundation to cultivate peer mentorships between senior residents and transitional age youth or single parent residents. These onsite community activities help target the social isolation that can occur with senior populations. Illumination Foundation has provided services to people experiencing homelessness in the Orange County area for 15 years and currently operates the City of Santa Ana's Carnegie Navigation Center. This experience and strong working relationship with the City of Santa Ana positions Illumination Foundation to provide the exceptional services the residents of the intergenerational campus deserve. Community Inclusion The need for affordable housing opportunities for TAY and seniors experiencing homelessness has become critical. For projects to be successful both in terms of design, development, and implementation, community engagement must be an integral part of each phase of the process. Illumination Foundation has a demonstrated history of working cooperatively with surrounding neighborhoods in all phases of project development, as evidenced, for one example, by the development and planning of the Fullerton Navigation Center. The process involved months of extensive community outreach, as well as partnering with local community groups and organizations in order to address the concerns of Fullerton residents and businesses. Illumination Foundation will take a reflective and strategic approach to community engagement. This begins with an in-depth understanding of the needs of the community, including the growing need for housing resources and the increasing number of people experiencing homelessness in Orange County. Throughout every step of the development process, Illumination Foundation, along with its development partners, will make active and concerted efforts to identify and reach out to all stakeholders relevant to the project. In the early phase of development, this will include attending City Council meetings, scheduling town halls, and creating questionnaires and informative flyers to distribute to