Partners & Supporters

Strategic Non-Profit Partner

The People Concern helps the most vulnerable among us rebuild their lives — housed, healthy and safe —through a fully integrated, comprehensive system of care.

The People Concern was formed through the 2016 union of two trusted social service organizations: Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC), the largest homeless services provider on the Westside of Los Angeles County, and Lamp Community, a similar organization based in Skid Row. The agencies were founded in 1963 and 1985, respectively. Both agencies had a similar population of focus, those most in need, yet brought complementary strengths through the merger to form The People Concern.

The People Concern believes no one should have to live on the street or in a violent household. Its staff, volunteers and those they serve work together to address the effects of homelessness, poverty, mental and physical illness, abuse, and addiction. Its programs empower the most vulnerable among us to improve their quality of life – housed, healthy and safe — and become active participants in the community. The agency also works to educate the broader community and improve public policy.

The People Concern provides a comprehensive suite of eight core services: housing (both interim and permanent), mental health care, medical care, substance abuse services, domestic violence services, income/benefits assistance, wellness/life skills programs, and outreach and engagement. All services are highly integrated with each other and are available to people on the street, at the agency’s multiple sites, and in permanent housing. Agency staff are the experts in everything that the most vulnerable people need to succeed. The agency’s work has always been done according to the latest best practices such as the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Housing First and Harm Reduction models, and trauma-informed care.

PSH helps people thrive once they are living in permanent housing and off the streets. Through an integrated array of services, provided based on the needs of the individual residents, staff of The People Concern support housed people in improving their health, life skills and engagement within their communities. PSH wants to boost people’s power to choose their own living arrangements and get services that are flexible based upon the support they need at any given time.

The People Concern operates under, and helped to pioneer, the Housing First model. It offers immediate access to affordable, safe and permanent housing without requiring sobriety or participation in treatment. Once settled in their home, new tenants are surrounded with customized services such as mental health treatment, drug recovery, healthcare, budgeting, visual performing arts, job opportunities, and other supports to help them achieve their goals and become part of their community.

The vast majority of The People Concern clients suffer from a combination of mental health and physical disabilities. Because they have difficulty maintaining their health and housing on their own, The People Concern offers ongoing, onsite supports to the individual, including: case management, mental health care, benefits assistance, substance abuse intervention and links to medical care and a variety of community resources. These “wraparound services” greatly improve clients’ health and stability. Not only is “housing first” a benefit to the individual, but these services can be provided at a fraction of what it costs the public to provide systemic services to individuals in need.

In order to permanently end homelessness for The People Concern clients, The People Concern matches them with the optimal form of permanent supportive housing that will meet their specific needs. The People Concern model produces a staggering rate of success: over 98% of those placed in permanent housing and provided with wraparound services are never homeless again. Due to the intense engagement services and comprehensive care provided from the first contact on the street through ongoing support in housing; the agency builds lasting relationships and individualized care plans for success.

West Builders

WEST Builders was established in 2003, based on the knowledge gained from 75-years of combined construction experience of the founding partners which includes over $1.7 billion dollars and 21 million SF worth of projects; all successfully completed on schedule and within budget. Since then WEST has grown their passion for building with negotiated, design-build or design assist projects with single source responsibility in the multi-family and commercial sectors.

The company has successfully performed over one hundred projects in its 15 years of existence. Project teams are primarily led by WEST professionals who all worked together for decades prior to the formation of WEST and are supported by degreed engineers whom WEST recruited directly out of college. WEST Builders is customer driven rather than project driven in determining where its work efforts are focused.

CBRE

CBRE Group, Inc. is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm which has been included on the Fortune 500 since 2008, ranking #146 in 2019. It also has been voted the industry’s top brand by the Lipsey Company for 18 consecutive years and has been named one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” for seven years in a row, including being ranked number one in the real estate sector in 2019. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. CBRE Group, Inc. is a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange as CBRE.

In addition to CBRE’s expansive network, savvy technology, and immense resources, CBRE not only has a vested interest in solving the homelessness problem that plagues the city of LA but is striving to embody the change that they want to see. Every Summer CBRE hosts an internship program where the purpose of their project is to help remedy this issue by identifying parcels of land that can be used to solve the issue of homelessness in Los Angeles. Finally, it is time to make those projects a reality and make the change.

CBRE has partnered with Flyaway as they understand that any model of developing PSH cannot be scaled without a robust pipeline of land, and they are committed to dedicating sufficient resources so that Flyaway can create a pipeline and a system of land acquisition which will allow the model to scale to the level needed to significantly reduce homelessness in Los Angeles.

Gensler

Gensler, founded in 1965, is a global design and architecture firm which services more than 3,500 clients in virtually every industry. Gensler operates offices in 48 cities in 16 countries worldwide, with over 6,000 professionals working for clients in over 100 countries. Gensler has 618 people in the LA office and 1,050 people in the southwest region.

Gensler Architects have partnered with Flyaway to utilize their production management expertise to help create a production model that can be easily replicated as it scales to build multiple projects simultaneously. They believe that using a production model of development is the only way that housing can be built at a rate sufficient to solve Los Angeles’ homelessness problem. They have extensive expertise in the specialties that make them uniquely suited to execute this proposal: multi-family residential architecture, entitlements, roll-out building programs, and program management. Their residential practice area has a deep bench of expertise and knowledge on the unique design opportunities and codes associated with multi-family residential projects. They have several leaders with a comprehensive understanding of the entitlements process and have strong relationships with many of the stakeholders in the entitlements and permitting process. Their roll-out teams have worked with many clients on a wide range of scales to develop a prototype with a kit-of-parts and then execute the design efficiently on hundreds of projects around the world. The Program Management Office (PMO) works closely with their roll-out team to organize everything from the identification of properties to the final project close-out on a systems level.

VTBS Architects

Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh, AIA (VTBS) is an architectural firm committed to service, quality and integrity. VTBS is widely acknowledged to be a creative design firm with substantial technical abilities. The multi-talented design firm was founded by Johannes Van Tilburg, FAIA, Navy F. Banvard, FAIA, and L. Gustaf Soderbergh, AIA, LEED AP in 1994.  VTBS currently employs over 60 employees in its California and Colorado offices.

With its diverse residential portfolio, VTBS is one of the most accomplished and recognized residential architects in the nation, and their experience with affordable and market-rate residential typologies and solutions is broad. Their projects have targeted a wide range of social and affordability categories including market-rate, upscale and economical projects, student housing communities, permanent supportive housing and all components of senior housing including Independent Living, Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facilities.  Their projects successfully incorporate solutions to a wide variety of issues, including a commitment to the preservation of natural resources with its focus on sustainable design. They regularly incorporate elements set forth in LEED standards, the California Build-It-Green program, and other sustainable guidelines.

Recognized formally through a wide array of professional, community and industry commendations, VTBS has received awards from the American Institute of Architects; and from cities, counties and Chambers of Commerce throughout California and Colorado. In addition, design awards have been received from several professional builder organizations such as the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (Gold Nugget Awards,) The National Association of Homebuilders, the American Planning Association, and the National Commercial Business Council.

Members of the VTBS Architects team have been involved with several entitlement projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in both California and  Colorado. This includes Section 8 programs with the 202 Program, the 811 Program, and tax credit programs – all of which required compliance with the Minimum Property Standards and the 504 Housing Act.

Gustaf Soderbergh (Founding Principal) brings to the team extensive experience in masterplanning and in the planning and design of residential, mixed-use and commercial building types, as well as an extensive background in project planning, design and management of interior design projects.  Mr. Soderbergh has demonstrated leadership, and resourcefulness in the efficient and cost effective development and delivery of projects, from initial conceptualizing and entitlements through project completion.

Mr. Soderbergh has worked with the White House Office of Science and Technology and the Department of Energy in launching PATH (the Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing).  Its goals are to promote sustainable design while being environmentally responsible in the development of energy efficient and affordable housing through advancement and alternate technologies.

Nelson Architects

NELSON is a global design, architecture, graphic design, branding, consulting, and workplace services organization. For over 40 years, they have provided their clients with strategic and creative solutions that positively impact their ideas, goals, objectives, and environments.

Their integrated service delivery network includes over 1,100 Teammates in 21 locations, which allows them to work effectively with clients on projects across the country and around the world. NELSON’s mantra is Focused on Creation, Passion to Deliver.

In everything they do, they are committed to providing exceptional services and delivering outstanding results. They value equally both design and delivery, taking their cues on what to emphasize from what their clients value. Above all, they view clients as partners and they are committed to our combined success.

[place] Architects

[place] provides a unique perspective working in both architecture and landscape.

The integration of the two practices enables the creation of outdoor spaces that engage and inspire people to connect with the place. The studio is committed to providing innovative design backed by efficient and responsive project management.

As a principal, Victoria Pakshong is actively involved in the design and execution of each project ensuring consistency of quality and attention to detail.

Delane Engineering

Delane Engineering is a civil engineering firm that specializes in public works and transportation, land development, and storm water management. What makes them unique is their passionate dedication to our clients and their projects’ individual needs.