SANTA ANA, CA (July 18, 2003)

GREYSTONE HOMES BUILDING TEAM (From Left) HomeAid Orange County board president, Les Thomas; Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects, Ben Gualberto; Greystone Homes division president, Douglas Woodward; Greystone Homes Julie Hutchinson; Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects, Michael Rupard; Greystone Homes vice president of operations, Mark Kemmerer; Historic French Park Neighborhood Association president, Paul Giles; Santa Ana Council Member, Brett Franklin; Father Jerome Karcher; Mercy House executive director, Larry Haynes.

LENNAR HOMES BUILDING TEAM (From Left) HomeAid Orange County board president, Les Thomas; Historic French Park Neighborhood Association president, Paul Giles; Father Jerome Karcher; Santa Ana Council Member, Brett Franklin; Lennar Family of Home Builders regional president, Jeff Roos; Lennar Homes of California, Inc., division president, Robert Tummolo; Mercy House executive director, Larry Haynes; Bassenian/Lagoni Architects senior designer, Ray Hart; Lennar Homes director of marketing, Denise Hayes; and Lennar Homes of California, Inc., vice president of operations, John Jessup.

The Ground Breaking represents the manifestation of behind the scenes work that has been unfolding for over three years. In an effort to bring San Miguel to life, care provider Mercy House joined forces with HomeAid Orange County; the building industry and its trade partners; the architectural community; the City of Santa Ana; the French Park Neighborhood Association and others in a collaborative effort to bring a long-held dream to reality, with an end result that will in due course, benefit those homeless Orange County men, women and children with no where to turn.

The SMR development team, led by Builder Captains Lennar Homes and Greystone Homes, are dedicated to providing a quality product, while keeping the cash outlay to a minimum. Through this type of approach, HomeAid's shelter development teams can generally leverage a project by as high as five to one in-kind to cash. This strategy allows HomeAid to grow its development program ultimately increasing the number of shelter beds in affluent Orange County, now home to nearly 28,000 homeless individuals and families.

In the case of San Miguel, a minimum of 20 beds will be added that will serve a mix of individuals and families, the majority of which will come from one of Mercy House's transitional programs including Joseph House for homeless men. Two other Mercy House shelters, Emmanuel House serving adults living with HIV/AIDS; and Regina House for homeless women and children – both developed by HomeAid and its partners – will also transition residents into the new project.

Contrary to what is universally perceived, joblessness is not always at the core of homelessness. In fact many of the homeless work full-time and still don't earn enough to meet the basic needs of their families. The truth is that the trickle down effect of salary/housing cost ratios is wreaking havoc with the growing rate of the homeless in Orange County and elsewhere. Most, you may be surprised to learn– are families and children, the population that will eventually be served at the San Miguel Residence.

SMR is comprised of two structures; a two-story 2,700 square foot craftsman style home designed by Bassenain/Lagoni Architects consisting of a big kitchen, large dining room and ample living room with four large bedrooms all with private bathrooms that will be built by Lennar Homes.

And the second, a major rehabilitation consisting of four one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartments in a Spanish motif designed by Costa Mesa-based firm, Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects & Planners, Inc. will be constructed by Greystone Homes. Both buildings are slated for simultaneous completion date in early 2004.

HomeAid Orange County was established by the leadership of the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California in 1989 for the purpose of building and renovating shelters for the temporarily homeless. Since its inception, HomeAid – with 34 completed shelter developments to its credit throughout Orange County – has expanded from its grass roots to become the largest provider of shelters for the temporarily homeless nationwide. For more information, call (949) 553-9510 or visit www.homeaidoc.org.