North Hills has a new permanent supportive housing complex, “My Angel,” providing residence for 54 veterans and other individuals experiencing homelessness in the San Fernando Valley.
“I’m glad I get to see my brothers and sisters being housed,” said State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, also a veteran who served in the Marines. “I’m grateful that this is now the third veteran housing in my district, two under LA Family Housing, and I’m hopeful to see more and more coming down the pipeline.”
In 2017, the project’s benefactor Hal Kassner, an army veteran and former owner of Angel Appliances, donated the property where his business was located to Los Angeles Family Housing to be converted into housing for veterans. Although in a wheelchair and in failing health, Kassner attended the groundbreaking in 2022. He said “My Angel” was not named after his business, but a dedication to Sue, his wife of 70 years who he credited for his success.
“Today we honor Hal’s incredible heart and legacy, and although he’s no longer with us, through his vision for My Angel, through his vision of creating permanent, supportive homes for veterans transitioning out of homelessness, we were able to create this property,” said Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, president and CEO of LA Family Housing.
“He always said that receiving the GI Bill allowed him to have a future. Someone invested in him, and so he wanted the opportunity to invest in other veterans so they could have a thriving future as well,” she continued.
After seven years and funding from multiple state, local and private partnerships for the nearly 32 million dollar project, the complex now operates at full capacity – providing 53 studio units and one two-bedroom manager’s unit for formerly unhoused veterans.
Resident and veteran Joseph Bellucci graciously welcomed guests to tour the studio apartment he has now resided in for six months, equipped with a fully functioning kitchen and private bathroom.
“Welcome to My Angel, my house,” said Bellucci. “Not too long ago, my life was a little different. I was homeless.”
Bellucci told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol that he used to live in a little room he built behind a garage in Valley Village. He was comfortable there and didn’t realize he was homeless until the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) told him that his living situation constituted homelessness.
The general public has a misconception about people experiencing homelessness, Bellucci said, adding that people “did nothing wrong, they just ended up that way,” and deserve the type of services and help that My Angel is providing to get back on their feet.
The new complex has a community room, laundry, parking, exercise room, outdoor recreational spaces, dog run and community garden. More importantly, My Angel provides holistic wrap-around services, with on-site case management offices and supportive services, including resources for mental health, healthcare, education and employment.
“The building is more than just a place to provide housing for veterans and those experiencing homelessness, it is a space that fosters community and healing,” said Antonio Banuelos, Mental Health program manager from the Department of Mental Health Services. “We believe in the power of housing as the foundation for stability, recovery and hope. This project provides access to vital services, such as health care, case management, educational resources and life skill training, helping residents build brighter futures.”
But that healing process and lifestyle change do not happen overnight. For most residents, as Bellucci said, the “transition from homelessness” into this kind of communal living is “going to take a minute. Everything takes a minute.”