“I have been involved with community organizations my entire life. I am not new to this. You [Esperanza] are among the best organizations I have seen in the entire country. What you’re doing in this community with your Health Promoters Program is a model for other groups all across the country working to improve the lives of the people in the neighborhoods that are so underserved.” — Vice President Joe Biden on Esperanza Community Housing Corporation.
We at Esperanza Community Housing Corporation were honored to host Vice President Joe Biden during his visit to Los Angeles. Vice President Biden came to Amistad, one of our nine buildings of affordable housing. Vice President Biden was joined by Congressman Xavier Becerra, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims.
The Vice President came to Esperanza to honor our Healthy Homes team and the work that they have done over the past 11 years for slum housing remediation. Vice President Biden spoke about the three years of funding Esperanza received to continue its Healthy Homes work, preserving jobs for local community members, improving the health of families, and making homes more habitable.
Vice President Biden said, “”I’ve been involved in community organizations my entire life,” Biden said. “And I am not new to this. You’re among the best organizations I have seen in the entire country. What you’re doing here in this community … is a model for other groups all across the country.”
And we’d like to remind all of you that Esperanza still needs support to continue these essential programs. Like Vice President Biden, Congressman Becerra, and Mayor Villaraigosa said, Esperanza is one of the best organizations in the nation. We are making a difference in South LA every single day, and you can be part of this powerful community-led change by donating now.
We’ll continue to post about this great visit and expand on some of the issues that the Vice President and Esperanza spoke about. In the meantime, below are some videos taken by Health Director, Lupe Gonzalez.
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“We [President Obama, Vice President Biden and the lawmakers that passed the stimulus] had no doubt that the money made available to you and Esperanza would be spent in the way taxpayers deserve it: transparently and efficiently.”
“I have been involved with community organizations my entire life. I am not new to this. You [Esperanza] are among the best organizations I have seen in the entire country. What you’re doing in this community with your Health Promoters Program is a model for other groups all across the country working to improve the lives of the people in the neighborhoods that are so underserved.”
“[Esperanza’s programs are] for the community and it’s truly run by the community … It takes real expertise … You got to be smart you got to know what you’re doing, you got to be well organized you got to be well educated. You got it all. You got it all going at Esperanza.”
If you want to make change, if you want to help low-income communities in the most effective way possible, and if you want to build hope with community, we invite you to donate to Esperanza.
Here are some articles, and we’ll be adding more as the press comes in.
*** UPDATED***
“Everything you [Esperanza Community Housing Corporation] do here is a demonstration of the immense power of community” — VP Joe Biden
“Biden Tours Charitable Housing Group in LA” CBS 2 (VIDEO)
“Biden Touts Stimulus Package in South LA” Fox LA (VIDEO)
“Vice President Biden Tours South LA Housing Project” LA Times
“South LA Welcomes Joe Biden” NBC Los Angeles
“$100 Milion Will Fix Lead Hazard Problems in 50 States” Environment News Service
“Biden Visits Low Income Housing Development in South LA” KPCC, Southern California Public Radio
“Biden Touts Stimulus Gains in South LA” KFWB News 980 (AUDIO)
“Joe Biden Announces $100 for Lead Paint Removal” Associated Press via Fresno Bee
“Vice President Biden tours Esperanza’s Housing Buildings” Yahoo News (PICTURES)
“Biden Gives Tyler Galindo, 6, a lift” via Chicago Tribune (PICTURES)
Esperanza Community Housing's Weblog 
May 17, 2009 at 5:57 pm
[…] Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden came to Esperanza Community Housing Corporation during his visit to Los Angeles on May 15, 2009. He chose give his address at one of Esperanza Community Housing Corporation’s quality affordable housing buildings to highlight the work of Esperanza’s Healthy Homes team. The Healthy Homes Team has been working to remediate slum housing conditions in South Los Angeles for the past 11 years, keeping families safe from lead poisoning and chronic asthma caused by mold and vermin infestation. Although Esperanza scored highly in its last proposal to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it was not funded in 2008 due to budget cuts. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (or the Stimulus), the Esperanza’s Healthy Homes team was funded for three more years to continue its vital work for the low-income families living in slum housing. For more information on the Healthy Homes Team and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, read this post at our staff blog. For full coverage of Vice President Biden’s visit, including videos, articles, and photos, read this post. […]