West Angeles WELL: Wellness, Empowerment, Living & Longevity

Affordable housing and homelessness

South LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

South Los Angeles, once redlined and long overlooked, remains the resilient heart of Black Los Angeles—a place where families have fought for opportunity despite generations of systemic racism and disinvestment. Today, that legacy persists: only 37% of South LA residents own their homes, and more than 26% spend over half their income on rent, leaving little room for savings, health, or stability. The area also holds some of the highest rates of poverty and homelessness in the County. These economic realities are deeply tied to wellness: South LA residents experience disproportionately high rates of chronic illness, stress-related health issues, and limited access to quality care. WACDC steps into this gap through affordable housing, financial education, and expanding wellness programming with its new community Wellness Center. Our work is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a real chance to build a healthy, secure, and fulfilling life.

This grant will support WACDC’s two-fold approach to healing and uplifting South LA: the expansion of its trusted homeownership program and growth of its Wellness Center designed to serve the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. WACDC launched its Wellness Center in October 2024, realizing a long-awaited goal. The Center has been temporarily housed at WACDC’s headquarters as the build-out of its permanent location on the ground floor of our newest affordable housing development in the heart of the Crenshaw Corridor is completed. From trauma-informed therapy to tai chi, yoga, and guided meditation, the permanent Center will offer tools to heal, grow, and thrive. It will serve seniors seeking connection, individuals reentering society after incarceration, and families working to break generational cycles of trauma—fostering healing and resilience at the heart of our community. We expect to welcome the community to the new space by August 1.
Simultaneously, WACDC will expand our proven homeownership program, focusing on families who have gained financial stability through our comprehensive financial literacy classes. These families are now ready to take the next step, and WACDC—with the support of a strong network of partners —guides them through every phase of the homebuying journey. From understanding the mortgage process to preparing loan applications to managing a household budget, we equip the community with the tools and confidence to become successful homeowners.

In a region facing one of the worst housing crises in the nation, where more than half of renters are cost-burdened and homeownership remains out of reach, our work will provide a lifeline. Families will no longer have to make impossible choices between rent and groceries, between stability and survival. With access to affordable homeownership and culturally grounded wellness resources, families will finally be able to breathe—freeing up emotional, mental, and financial capacity to focus on what matters most: raising their children, advancing their education, growing their careers, and participating in civic life.
There is a proven and powerful link between stable housing and wellness. When people have a roof over their heads and a sense of ownership in their community, their physical and mental health improves. When they also have access to trauma-informed care, stress-reducing activities, and supportive services, they can thrive. And when individuals thrive, so do communities.