IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The non-profit Friendship Shelter shared the results of their unique partnership with Masimo Corporation at their annual Intersections event. The event celebrated the innovative and transformative solution created by Joe Kiani, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Masimo, and how it inspired CalOptima Health to make their own investment in a Friendship Shelter community.
In 2019, Masimo purchased and renovated an apartment building as an investment and then master-leased it to Friendship Shelter to house individuals experiencing homelessness. Seventeen people now live in the Masimo-owned building and Friendship Shelter has on-site staff that help support the residents. Kiani’s hope was that other companies would follow and CalOptima Health did just that.
“The partnership with Masimo was the first time a company has partnered with a non-profit in this way and this is the type of innovative thinking we need to end homelessness,” stated Dawn Price, Executive Director of Friendship Shelter. “For more than 35 years, Friendship Shelter has focused on studying, understanding, and transforming its approach to ending homelessness. Ending homelessness creates healthier communities, resulting in healthier businesses, customers, employees and local economies. We feel very fortunate to be working with Joe and his team on this project and hope others join this effort now that we have a successful case study. We used our experience with our Masimo property when submitting our grant application to CalOptima Health. The story is both inspiring and makes business sense. That approach worked; the grant application was funded. We are excited to add another apartment community to the Friendship Shelter family.”
“CalOptima Health is privileged to support Friendship Shelter’s housing project with a grant of $3.9 million in Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP) funding provided through the State and approved by our Board. We believe that ‘housing is health,’ and what Friendship Shelter and Masimo Corporation have co-created is an amazing housing model that aligns with the mission and the vision of CalOptima Health,” said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health. “We congratulate Friendship Shelter for being South Orange County’s largest provider of supportive housing and having great success with keeping 97% of tenants stably housed year after year. CalOptima Health hopes our grant inspires other business partners, like Masimo’s CEO Joe Kiani, to use creative approaches to help more people become housed.”
“The thought that thousands of people are living on the street should keep all of us up at night. The reality is that we don’t have enough affordable homes in our area so we all have to do what we can to help. I had heard about Friendship Shelter’s track record of success and together we created a solution that can hopefully be replicated throughout California and the United States. I commend Michael Hunn and CalOptima for stepping forward and hope other CEOs do the same,” stated Joe Kiani, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Masimo.
“Simply put, housing ends homelessness. When we think creatively, partner in new ways, trust one another and take leaps of faith together, we can make miracles. And if you want to believe in miracles, hand a person who has been living in their car, or on the street, the keys to their new home. Watch them open their door for the first time,” stated Dawn Price, Executive Director of Friendship Shelter. “That’s the experience we can offer to our partners in the business community.
“This is a solution that allows corporations to take meaningful steps toward ending homelessness in their own backyard,” Price continued. “In our South Orange County region, housing is expensive and land is scarce. Most of the housing Friendship Shelter supports is mingled within large apartment communities, but for our most vulnerable clients, a dedicated-site community is a better fit, where on-site staff can be available at any time for support. Thanks to Masimo and CalOptima Health, we have growing evidence that shows the incredible possibilities of these partnerships.”
Friendship Shelter also announced their “Home For Good” initiative at the event. This effort focuses on a strong, professional staff to provide services and build trust with clients, willing landlords and investments in housing to increase the availability of financially accessible housing, and access to critical supports like physical and mental health care for tenants ensuring they remain safe and stable in their homes.
ABOUT FRIENDSHIP SHELTER
Friendship Shelter is a non-profit homeless services agency founded in 1988 and dedicated to ending homelessness in South Orange County, one person at a time. Friendship Shelter operates a full spectrum of services to end homelessness, including outreach, shelter, housing navigation, financial assistance, and permanent housing with supportive services. We believe in a housing-first and harm reduction approach and value the unique experience of each client we serve. All of our programs employ trauma-informed principles and are housing-focused, low-barrier, and client-centered. Friendship Shelter’s Housing team works with nearly 200 individuals who have experienced homelessness and are now living in their permanent homes. They operate rapid re-housing, housing with vouchers, and permanent supportive housing programs. Last year, 97% of housing tenants remained stably housed. For more information, please visit friendshipshelter.org.
