Daniel wanted nothing more than to provide a nurturing home and a bright future for his daughter. But the reality of a back injury and job loss challenged that dream.

With his 4-year-old daughter, Davita, and her mother, Daniel’s family lost their housing and eventually ended up in a homeless shelter. His relationship with Davita’s mother ended, but he was determined to provide a positive future for his little girl. Soon, Daniel was able to find a stable living situation at Marv’s Place, where he and Davita have been rebuilding their lives over the past two years.

According to the last completed homeless count in Los Angeles County, there were 53,195 people experiencing homelessness in the region in 2018. Daniel was fortunate to benefit from a housing-first model that provides housing as a foundational step in helping move the homeless from the streets to self-sufficiency.

Marv’s Place, a , 20-unit apartment community in Pasadena, is operated by National Community Renaissance and designed to help get homeless families back on their feet. Housing is the first step, but individual case management and a variety of services delivered by Union Station Homeless Services are what have really made the difference for residents.

Today, Davita is thriving in her transitional kindergarten class and Daniel has gone back to school to become a barber. He has an internship where he is learning the craft and said that although he’s working his way up from the bottom, he’s grateful to be working and building a career that will ultimately support his family. He also was proud to share that Davita was named Student of the Month earlier in the school year.

Daniel is not the only resident making promising strides in his life. Other residents at Marv’s Place are working steady jobs, pursuing college or vocational training, and nurturing their children toward a life of independence.

“Hardships come, but with blessings and the help of programs like this one, I have been able to move forward,” Daniel shared. “It’s hard to go up, but it’s fast to go down. Life is about hard work and that’s what I’m teaching my daughter.”

Marv’s Place represents the new face of homeless housing. It is clean, it fits in the neighborhood, and it includes dedicated case workers who help residents to build life skills and reach for their dreams. For Daniel, he has a mentor from Union Station who he says helps him stay focused on the positive.

When I asked Daniel where he would like to be in 10 years, he said he would love to be in his own home. He and Davita currently share a one-bedroom apartment, but his wish is for her to one day have her own bedroom and for the rest of his family to be together.

With thousands of homeless in Los Angeles County and across the San Gabriel Valley, the need is great for long-term, affordable housing and supportive services. Even with increasing public dollars, residents and local leaders have the opportunity to help support new apartment projects and educate others on the new face of affordable housing.

Without the development of additional workforce housing units, we will never see a substantial reduction in the 53,000 homeless across the region. And, more importantly, these are people’s lives that hang in the balance — people like Daniel and Davita who have a future ahead of them.

Thanks to Union Station and National CORE, I believe there is a bright future ahead for the residents of Marv’s Place.

Gregory Bradbard is an advocate for breaking the cycle of poverty as President of the SoCal-based Hope Through Housing Foundation, HTHF.org.