16-Unit Apartment Complex Part of $100 Million Capital Campaign to Expand Supportive Services for Children, Families, and Young Adults in Crisis in California, Nevada, and Washington
Olive Crest Breaks Ground for New Transitional Residential Facility for Homeless and Housing Insecure Young Adults in Orange County
SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 – Olive Crest, which has transformed the lives of over 250,000 children and their families since 1973, broke ground on September 24, 2024, for a new 16-unit residential facility for young adults ages 18 to 25. The complex is being donated and built by RSI Dream Communities. It’s the first of five planned apartment communities – the four other locations are Riverside, southeast Los Angeles, Palm Desert, and Las Vegas. The Santa Ana community is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025.
Local dignitaries, along with additional donors including the Crean Foundation, the Larry and Helen Hoag Foundation and the Oltmans Foundation, were on hand to celebrate.
“We are thankful to local dignitaries and donors for attending our groundbreaking and supporting our vision to expand housing and support programs to more than 1.2 million children and families in California, Nevada, and Washington by 2030,” said Donald Verleur, CEO of Olive Crest. “Our $100 million comprehensive capital campaign furthers our commitment to preventing teen homelessness while helping more children and families in crisis by building additional Children and Family Resource Centers while also expanding programs and services through business, community, and faith-based partnerships.”
Approximately 27,000 teens, between the ages of 12 and 24, are homeless or housing insecure in Orange County. And, without housing and support programs, these teens are less likely to complete their education, find employment, and make healthy relational decisions. The new apartment facility will allow young adults to live in stable housing while participating in the Operation Independence program to help them become independent and self-sufficient adults.
“Olive Crest’s 50-year history of providing essential services to children and families throughout Orange County aligns with RSI Dream Communities’ mission of addressing the housing shortage by providing sustainable, economical and inclusive living environments in a number of neighborhoods across the region,” said Jim Palmer, president and CEO of RSI Dream Communities. “Our continued support of Olive Crest and its workforce programs supports the current and future workforce, who significantly contribute to our vibrant communities.”
Olive Crest’s apartment community will feature:
- 16 two-bedroom and two-bathroom units so that young adults will not have to be alone.
- Each unit will feature a shared bathroom, kitchen, and living room.
- The building will also feature a communal gathering place where teens can get together.
- In addition to stable housing, all teens living in this facility will have access to one-on-one case management, counseling, mentoring, and educational programs to help ensure college success, break down barriers to employment, and address emotional wounds that would otherwise be carried into adulthood.
