California has some of the most acute housing pressures in the country. Home values are more than twice the national average. The unhoused population — estimated at 181,000 — is the highest on record, representing 22% of the national total. In many cities, waitlists for subsidized housing run five to ten years.
Mercy Housing California has worked here for decades — developing homes, building communities, and setting new standards for what affordable housing can look like.
In Stockton, a partnership with Operation Pathways brought healthy food access to families in food deserts. In Sacramento, After School KidzLit and KidzScience programs deliver literacy and STEM enrichment — 52% of children in the science program reported a more positive view of science.
In Anaheim, art therapy classes have reduced isolation and depression among senior residents at Linbrook Court.
Named Non-Profit Developer of the Year by the San Francisco Business Times, Mercy Housing California pioneered disability-forward design at the Kelsey Civic Center, where one in four units is reserved for low-income residents with disabilities.
The Land Acquisition Fund brought private equity speed to affordable housing for the first time in California.
Endowment funds the capacity to respond immediately — whether that means a case manager covering a college application fee by tomorrow’s deadline, or staff deploying flexible funding when safety-net resources are cut.
California has some of the steepest housing costs in the country, and Mercy Housing California has spent decades building the response — from emergency support to award-winning design to land acquired on public transit lines. Here’s what stays standing with a permanent endowment behind it.
In Stockton, Sacramento, and Anaheim, food access, literacy support, and art therapy already change daily life for residents.
The endowment ensures these programs never depend on whether this year’s fundraising covers the shortfall.
The Kelsey Civic Center set a new bar for disability-forward design. The Land Acquisition Fund let Mercy Housing California close three land deals in 2023 with the speed of a private buyer.
The endowment funds the next idea before someone else has it.
A diaper run at 8pm. A college application fee due tomorrow. A bus ticket to a job interview.
Mercy Housing California’s resident services teams already respond in hours, not days — the endowment keeps that reserve ready, indefinitely.
The Mercy Builds endowment
Your investment in the Mercy Builds endowment supports all five regions, including the work happening here in California. Every gift builds the permanent foundation.
