Pub. 7 2017 Issue 3

18 www.azbankers.org Member National Bank of Arizona Raza Development Fund Sponsor A New Leaf A New Leaf Awards $960,000 in AHP Grants $300,000 AHP Grant A Continuum of Care: Creating Hope, Change, and New Beginnings H OPE, CHANGE, AND NEW BEGINNINGS: AT A NEW LEAF’S LA MESITA CAMPUS IN MESA, ARIZONA, FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS FIND THE SHELTER, SAFETY, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO GAIN OR REGAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE. "Honestly, I think this saved our lives," says Kate Robinson. "We have a stable place for our kids, they’ve helped us find jobs - everything you can imagine, they’ve helped us with." Kate and fiancée Khalifa Brown, with five children between them, met at a Phoenix homeless shelter. Both had been bouncing around for a long time, staying temporarily with family or friends, struggling to over - come trauma and addiction. Now they are about to renew a lease on the four-bedroom apartment they share with Kate’s eight- year-old Hope and six-year-old CJ and with Kahlifa’s six-year-old Jeremiah, three-year- old Jordan, and two-year-old Jahlanie. "We were in a bad spot," Khalifa says, as the time limit for transitional housing provid - ed by the Phoenix agency approached and the couple was faced with the seemingly impossible challenge of finding an affordable home for the newly formed family of seven. Qualifying for voucher-based housing at La Mesita Apartments, a brand new develop - ment designed to offer a long-term solution to chronic homelessness, along with afford - able housing for low-income renters, seemed like a miracle. From 1940s Motor Lodge to State-of-the-Art Supportive Housing Campus La Mesita Apartments exemplifies A New Leaf’s comprehensive approach to "helping families, changing lives." With a 44-year history rooted in behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, and juvenile services, the nonprofit began to acquire other social service organizations, many with shelter components. According to Shay Meinzer, Di - rector of Real Estate Services, after running shelters for several years, the organization recognized that beyond emergency shelter there was a significant need for permanent supportive housing solutions, so the future of the organization needed to include a very strong housing line of business. The La Mesita campus started out as a 1940s motor lodge re-purposed as a shelter for homeless families. When the need for repairs became overwhelming, A New Leaf came up with an ambitious plan to demolish the old buildings and start anew, partnering with developer Native American Connec - tions, Inc., on a three-phase, transit-ori - ented, LEED Platinum-certified, urban infill project. When complete, the campus will feature an emergency shelter with 16 family-size units, 30 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families with special needs that require more intensive or longer-term services, and 80 units, ranging from studios to 4-bedroom apartments, for low- and very low-income households. "Our residents come from difficult back - grounds - domestic violence, homelessness, poverty - it's a wonder to see their lives transformed at La Mesita." -A New Leaf CEO Michael Hughes The project received three AHP grants totaling $1.26 million through two Bank members, National Bank of Arizona and Raza Development Fund. "We are deeply grateful to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Eight-year-old Hope Brown has a room of her own in her family's spacious apartment