Gramercy Housing Group (PATH)

Gramercy Housing Group was founded in 1996 with the mission “to reduce family homelessness by providing service-enriched permanent supportive housing to assist young families in transitioning to their own permanent homes.” It was run by volunteer social workers and child advocates who envisioned a safe, nurturing environment for families in need. Today, Gramercy Housing Group is a professionally staffed, private non-profit corporation providing service-enriched, permanent supportive housing, supportive services and childcare to single-parent families. Since the establishment of services, Gramercy Housing Group has directly served hundreds of young homeless families, providing them with housing and support services, including counseling, case management, on-site childcare, job training and education referrals, parenting classes and a variety of ongoing enrichment opportunities.

Gramercy’s housing and services are targeted for single parents between the ages of 18 and 24, who are either pregnant or have a child under the age of five. 80% of our families are African-American and 20% are Latino. Upon entering the program, all families have an income at or below the Federal Poverty Level. Most of our young mothers are unemployed upon entry, and most have not completed education beyond high school, if they even a high school diploma. Families are often dealing with a range of challenges, including substance abuse, lack of life skills and lack of social support. Most of our families come from low-income areas in South and Central Los Angeles. Gramercy Housing Group’s primary programs are our Gramercy Court housing program and the Gramercy Family Center. They are both located in a beautiful historic property located at 3317 – 3327 West Washington and 1818 – 1826 4^th Avenue, Los Angeles, California.

Gramercy Court consists of 15 units of a permanent supportive housing, a licensed childcare and infant care center, a community room for young families and linkages to an array of social services. Gramercy fosters an environment that affirms diversity and encourages young families to value themselves, their neighborhoods and their communities. Families at Gramercy Court are given the time and resources to heal from past trauma, create community and social connections, and increase their self-esteem, parenting skills, independent living skills, education, job skills and savings so they can successfully achieve long-term stability and self-sufficiency.

Gramercy Family Center provides full-day care and a developmentally-appropriate curriculum for up to 39 children from Gramercy Court and the local community. Gramercy’s staff works with families to create a positive, child-centered living and learning environment that fosters self-esteem, relationship building, creativity, diversity and communication. As one of very few licensed childcare centers serving low-income families in the area, the Family Center empowers each child with hands-on learning experiences.