SUP. BARGER DIRECTS FUNDS TO PENNY LANE HOUSING PROJECT FOR LOW-INCOME ANTELOPE VALLEY FAMILIES

Supervisor Kathryn Barger will provide $300,000 in discretionary funds earmarked for community development to Penny Lane Centers to ensure the timely completion of Imagine Village II – a new project that will provide housing for low-income families located in Lancaster.

“Government must corral every resource available to support and speed up the development of housing solutions for families in need,” stated Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Supervisor of the Fifth District. “This funding will help make sure Penny Lane is fully resourced to complete infrastructure improvements for Imagine Village II so that it can open its doors and welcome families as soon as possible.”

Today’s approval by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directs the County’s Development Authority to allocate this funding to Penny Lane Centers, providing a step forward to help alleviate the urgent need for housing in the Lancaster community. According to the latest homeless census data available from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, in 2020, there were approximately 2,050 people experiencing homelessness in Lancaster – a remarkable 167% increase in comparison to the homeless census numbers from 2016.

Wendy Carpenter, Penny Lane’s Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Imagine Village II will provide 80 units of quality, sustainable affordable housing for low-income families who are struggling to make ends meet. Rent is the single biggest expense for most people and when low-income families can afford their rent every month, that allows them to spend more for other essential items such as nutritious food and healthcare. We appreciate the financial assistance from Supervisor Barger.”

Imagine Village II will help families in the Antelope Valley area that would otherwise find it hard to afford rent and, as a result, have a greater risk of becoming homeless. A Penny Lane client identified as “A.E.” said: “Living in the A.V. has been really hard for me because many landlords want two times the rent to move in. I only make minimum wage which makes it hard to meet the housing requirements, but I know I can afford my monthly rent.

Click here for images of the site where the Imagine Village II site will be located and renderings of the completed construction project.

About Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Supervisor Kathryn Barger serves the residents of the 5th District, which includes 22 cities and 70 unincorporated communities in the Antelope, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Crescenta, and Santa Clarita Valleys. Dedicated to providing effective, responsive representation to her constituents, Kathryn was born and raised in the fifth district and began her career in public service as a student intern for the previous Supervisor. She rose to become his chief deputy in 2001 and was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2016. Building upon her work from her time as chief policy advisor on health, mental health, social services, and children’s issues, Kathryn continues to advocate for services and programs to improve the quality of life for foster children, seniors, veterans, those experiencing homelessness, those with disabilities and those with mental illness.

About Penny Lane Penny Lane is a large social service and foster family agency serving youth and families with programs such as transitional housing for youth, mental health services, substance use disorder services, domestic violence services and a variety of other community-based services. Penny Lane also operates a Transition Aged Youth drop-in center in Lancaster. Their housing development arm, Abbey Road, started operations eleven years ago and has completed several projects in Lancaster and more in the San Fernando Valley.