Affordable housing is the pathway to a better life — not just a place to live.

We believe housing is the platform for the path out of poverty, and that we all have a responsibility to help those among us who face hardship by empowering them to build personal and financial assets.

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Residents living in affordable housing deserve far more than basic shelter.

As an affiliate of Las Palmas Housing, we’ve been delivering free, wraparound human services to low and moderate income residents across California’s affordable housing communities since 2006 — providing high-quality social services, educational programs, advocacy, and training for children, youth, families, and seniors, right where they live.

Today, we serve more than 10,000 residents across 30+ properties.

But what drives us isn’t the numbers. It’s the belief that multi-faceted, sustainable models of service can reinforce self-empowerment, foster economic independence, and build genuine community involvement in every neighborhood we’re part of.

We listen first, build programs around what we hear, and show up for every resident we serve.

Everything we do flows from a few deeply held commitments.

Empowerment over charity

We don’t provide services to residents — we build them with residents. By giving community members a voice in what programs are offered, we create a sense of ownership that drives real, lasting change.

Culturally sensitive care

We serve diverse communities across California, and we take that seriously. Our programs are designed to be responsive to the specific cultural, linguistic, and personal needs of every resident we work with.

Meet people where they are

By embedding our services within residential communities, we make sure the people who need support can actually access it — without barriers, without bureaucracy, and at no cost.

Sustainability and replication

We build service models that are designed to last and to scale — so that what works in one community can be carried forward into the next.

Meet Our Team

Our team is driven by the belief that stable housing paired with accessible services creates the foundation for thriving communities.

Joseph M. Michaelsa

President
Mr. Michaels has been active in all phases of multi-family development with an emphasis in affordable housing for over 30 years. Since 1992, Mr. Michaels has exclusively participated in the development of affordable housing projects utilizing federal tax credits, tax-exempt bonds and public sector subordinate financing. In 2000, Mr. Michaels joined Las Palmas Foundation (organized in 1991) as President. Mr. Michaels’ real estate experience includes the development of senior citizen and multifamily housing; negotiating land acquisitions; arranging and funding construction and permanent loans; marketing of investment projects; multifamily land sales; public and private syndication; land planning for mixed-use projects; property management supervision and real estate consulting.
A graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor in Business Administration degree, Mr. Michaels also received from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the Certificate of Real Estate with a specialization in Finance. He is a licensed California Real Estate Broker.
Mary White

Vice President of Social Services
Ms. White has principal responsibility for implementing and overseeing our social service programs. These programs include supportive services, on site senior service coordination, adult education, and youth and teen education, mentoring and empowerment, after school programs, and recreational programming. As well as working with on-site apartment management, residents and local third party agencies, to setup working relationships and policies that promote resident services. Ms. White is responsible for interviewing, hiring, and training staff, independent contractors, and volunteers. She also assists in establishing policies and procedures, planning and administering budgets, supervising staff, and collecting data and other information to evaluate program impact. Ms. White manages our social media platforms, planning for execution of marketing strategies and community management.
Ms. White received her Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, San Marcos in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management.
Leslie A. Michaels

Vice President of Operations
Ms. Michaels has over 30 years’ experience in real estate and business development. She provides day-to-day management of several key functions: Human Resources, Accounting, Payroll, Information Technology, and Office Services. She also oversees creation and implementation of organizational policies, as well as media, community relations, and publication development.
Ms. Michaels earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (USC). Fight On! She has served on the boards of several charitable organizations, offering her guidance and strategic insight to advance their missions.
She volunteers as the Chapter Advisor for Alpha Omicron Pi, a women’s sorority at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). In recognition of her exceptional leadership and mentorship, she was recently awarded the prestigious Muriel T. McKinney Chapter Advisor Award, selected from among 132 chapters nationwide. At CSUSM, she is a five-time nominee for the Tukwut Leadership Advisor of the Year Award and has been honored as the Most Outstanding Alumna by the Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards Committee.