From living on the streets of Skid Row to jumping from different shelters, single mother of four Annette Gavaro says her family’s outlook felt bleak. Deja West, another mother of two, was also losing hope after living in a shelter for about a year.
Today, both families, among many others, will have a home at El Nuevo Amanecer Apartments in East Los Angeles.
“Hopefully, this is our final stop, and we won’t have to be homeless anymore. This is our first house, so my kids are happy. I overcame everything and proceeded to move forward with their lives,” says Gavaro. I’m proud that I have a roof over my head for me and my children,” West adds.
The original Amanecer Apartments, which began construction in June of 2019, were just months away from finishing construction when the ELACC property was destroyed in an arson fire started by a 17-year-old male in September 2020. Now nearly four years after the incident, the property has been fully rebuilt and open on the corner of Rowan Avenue and 1st Street.
“This building is about the spirit of fighting back, about coming back to life,” said ELACC President and CEO Monica Mejia, referring to the organization’s efforts to combat homelessness and the incident.
The 34,848-square-foot property, located at 111 N. Rowan Avenue, is a $66 million investment that includes 61 apartments reserved for homeless veterans and those with incomes between 0 and 60% of the area median income.
The apartments have 31 units for unhoused veterans, 16 for low-income families, 12 for homeless individuals, and two for on-site property managers.
“It’s a beautiful facility and one that inspires hope. From ruin, you see resiliency,” said County Supervisor Hilda Solis at the opening. “People who are homeless deserve to be housed and to get the dignity, respect, and treatment they so sorely deserve.”
At El Nuevo Amanecer Apartments, residents will have a community room, fitness center, playground, laundry room, community kitchen, courtyards, roof terraces, and more.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and social services agency The People Concern will provide on-site services to the veterans at the apartments, from case management and benefits assistance to education and employment services. All residents at the property will have access to case managers who can connect tenants to various local health care and support services.
“In a few years, the history of the fire will be mostly forgotten, and what’s left will be the new history of the people who live here,” said Mejia.
