Since 1990, Jamboree has been Building for Good – our model of affordable housing with life-enhancing resident services that transform lives and strengthen communities. Our corporate strategy consistently includes the strengths and expertise of partnerships to envision and create new solutions.
In 2020, Jamboree marked the 10-year anniversary of its merger with HOMES, Inc. (Helping Our Mentally Ill Experience Success), a nonprofit dedicated to providing housing and support for people with psychiatric disabilities. In the fight to end chronic homelessness, positively addressing mental illness continues to be an important factor, and the HOMES merger is a success story about the power of collaboration to create significant change.
In 2008, HOMES was a leading nonprofit provider of housing with supportive services, with a 25-year history of serving homeless people with psychiatric disabilities. At a time of economic downturn, Jamboree partnered with HOMES to develop Diamond Apartment Homes in Anaheim, CA – which marked 10 years of success in 2019 – proving to be a cost-effective and permanent solution in the fight to end long-term homelessness.
Jamboree’s merger with HOMES in 2010 became a catalyst to create a remarkable hybrid of Permanent Supportive Housing. This merger has become vitally important to advancing Orange County’s quest to end chronic homelessness with the necessary funding and development expertise. HOMES originally owned Jackson Aisle and six houses that provided independent living for 62 residents living with mental health diagnoses. With a bent for action with compassion, Helen Cameron – then Executive Director of HOMES – began to shape a larger conversation for Jamboree as a long-time homeless advocate and as part of the Jamboree staff team.