LANCASTER — The online reviews for the former Tropic and Sands neighbor motels on Sierra Highway in Lancaster sounded like something out of a dystopian novel.
“There are bed bugs, cockroaches and so much more,” one review said. Another review said “bed bugs are everywhere and you start to itch.”
Someone else wrote: “Roach infested; they keep the rooms dark so you can’t see them. You turn on the light and they’re everywhere.”
No more. The decrepit motels are gone. In their place is The Sierras, a 38-unit interim housing facility for families experiencing homelessness.
Ken Craft, founder and CEO of Hope the Mission, the largest rescue mission in the country, read the reviews during a Friday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony at the nearly 15,000-square-foot facility, also attended by representative from the nonprofit organization’s partners, Los Angeles County and the city of Lancaster.
“This is March 1st,” Craft said. “This month we will celebrate Passover; we will celebrate Easter. The message of both of those very significant religious holidays have to do with going from death to life, from dark to light, from bondage to freedom, and that’s what this place will be.”
He added the people who have found themselves in a place of brokenness or frustration, where maybe they’ve been victims, can get a fresh start at The Sierras, at 43145 Sierra Highway.
“Here, people get a fresh start, a new beginning and so this is going to be an amazing place,” said Craft, who likened the facility to a retreat.
Hope the Mission, working in conjunction with LA County, secured funding for the project through California’s Project Homekey state grants from the Department of Housing and Community Development. The City of Lancaster also had a part in the transformation of the dilapidated properties into an oasis for families experiencing homelessness.
The county will also partner with the faith-based nonprofit to offer services including housing navigation case management, referrals to outside service providers for medical and mental health care, parenting classes and help finding child care and employment.
LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has been supportive of the project since its inception.
“I don’t know if you understand just how big of a deal this is,” said Charles F. Bostwick, assistant field deputy for Barger, who presented a scroll to Craft.
LA County will partner with Hope the Mission to transform three more motels on Sierra Highway and one in Palmdale to get the bed bugs and cockroaches out and the families in.
“This is a great thing, just the first of many that’s going to be opening up here in the Antelope Valley, and I think it’s just a great thing for our community,” Bostwick said.
Angelica Rangel from state Sen. Scott Wilk’s office also presented a certificate to Craft on behalf of Wilk.
“I’m just very happy to be here and see this type of change,” she said.
The Sierras has 152 beds. Each family unit has at least four beds, with at least two units equipped with eight beds for larger families. There are five accessible units. All of the units are assigned.
The Sierras includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, which will provide three nutritious meals daily to residents, fostering a nurturing environment for families to thrive. The facility also features a range of amenities, including free washers and dryers, a playground, community room, amphitheater, dog run, case management offices and plans for a state-licensed preschool.
“Our mandate is to treat each and every single person coming to us for help with dignity, love and respect,” said Rowan Vansleve, president of Hope the Mission.
Speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included architect Nerin Kadribegovic of Kadre Architects.
“It does not matter what rung of the social ladder one resides on; the spirit of the place is so important to our psyches,” Kadribegovic said. “It’s especially important to the houseless families whose daily struggles should not be further weighed down by their temporary home. We tried to reduce the weight here by not just providing housing but by instilling dignity through vibrant colors, playful structures, meditative landscape and pathways that meander throughout the site.”
They transformed the parking lots into a park, so when residents look out of their units, they will see trees, not cars, he added. The solar porches that line the old buildings will present residents with a fresh new view of the world, provide shade and extend the living space by providing outdoor patios.
“Throughout the day, the light and shadow provide endless play and ever-changing appearance of movements,” Kadribegovic said.
Arash Daghighian, of construction company Ford E.C. Inc., said the project was a collaboration.
“I definitely want to thank the City of Lancaster,” he said. “It was our first endeavor up here and you guys partnered with us all the way through this whole process.”
He also thanked Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Co.
The project to transform the former motels, which were built in the early to mid-1950s, was extensive. For the first time, the property has a brand new sewer line connected to the city’s main trunk line. The motels previously had seven septic tanks buried on the property.
“Over 29,000 man hours went into this project over the last 14 months to deliver it,” Daghighian said. “What you see here is basically something that would not have passed code in its wildest dreams; now it’s up to date. We have a brand new state-of-the-art kitchen. We have a community space. Everybody came together and we pushed it forward.”
Elizabeth Ben-Ishai, with the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative, said Hope the Mission is an amazing partner to the county.
“We are thrilled that families will have a safe place to recover and to grow on their path to permanent housing,” Ben-Ishai said. “It’s such a beautiful space. I can see my own children wanting to run around and play here; that just gives me so much joy to know that families and children will not only be safe but be in a beautiful space.”
Lancaster Councilman Ken Mann said it is not compassionate to leave people on the street.
“Ken has the vision,” Mann said of Craft. “His organization, I believe, is going to be transformational for the city of Lancaster.”
Mann added he would like Craft to have almost all of Sierra Highway.
“As fast as he can get a project done, he’s going to get another project,” Mann said. “If you thought we moved fast last time, we’ll even move faster in the future.”
Councilwoman Lauren Hughes-Leslie presented Craft with a proclamation from Mayor R. Rex Parris and the city.
“I am excited today,” Hughes-Leslie said. “I am excited that we are here to provide love and to provide hope to our community.”
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