Holiday Celebrations Across County Public Housing Developments

Festive Events for Public Housing Residents and Community Members

December 21, 2023 – The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) and local community partners worked together to bring holiday cheer to Los Angeles County public housing families.

All month long, Los Angeles County public housing developments held celebrations for families that included toy distributions, photos with Santa Claus, holiday food basket distributions, and festive holiday gatherings. Events took place throughout the Carmelitos, Nueva Maravilla, Harbor Hills, and South County (Scattered Sites) public housing developments. More than 1,100 holiday gifts were distributed to families across the sites. Senior residents also enjoyed holiday-themed sit-down meals within their communities. Families at Nueva Maravilla had a special appearance by California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo and Deputy Sheriff McGruff.

These events were made possible with the support of long-standing agency partners including East LA Rising, Shelter Partnership, and the Carmelitos Family Resident Council. Other partners included City of Long Beach Councilmember Al Austin’s office, Woman in Action Reaching Out, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the Omega Pi Phi Fraternity.

In addition to volunteering for these joyful events, LACDA staff also participated in the festive cheer at the Alhambra headquarters. Building facility staff installed green and red lights throughout the building to illuminate it in red and green colors after dark. The LACDA staff also participated in a holiday toy drive. The weeks-long toy drive collected numerous donations for children of all ages and were distributed among all sites.

“The LACDA is dedicated to spreading holiday cheer and joy to our public housing families and residents in need,” said Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director. “We understand that the holidays can be especially stressful. That’s why we take the time to get together gifts and resources for our community.”