Project Access

The mission of Project Access is to be the leading provider of vital on-site health, education, and employment services to families, children, and seniors living in affordable and workforce housing communities.

Project Access envisions that all residents of affordable and workforce housing communities have the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and maximize their full potential.

Founded in 1999 by Affordable Housing Access (AHA) leaders William Hirsch and Jonathan Webb, Project Access was built on the belief that stronger communities are created by providing underserved families and seniors with access to essential health, education, and employment readiness resources.

Today, almost all of the residents we serve have a total annual income at or below 60% of the median income in their area, qualifying them for low-income housing. Many face extreme financial hardship, with some earning as little as $30,000 per year—making it difficult to afford even basic necessities. Our residents typically fall into one of three categories:
- Adults striving to secure stable employment and provide for their families.
- Youth working to reach their full potential while navigating high-risk situations in under-resourced communities.
- Seniors facing the challenges that come with aging and retirement on a limited income.

For over 25 years, Project Access has been a leader in delivering vital health, education, and economic stability services to individuals living in the shadows of poverty. Our innovative Family and Senior Resource Centers serve as a cornerstone of support, offering a comprehensive network of care tailored to the unique needs of each community.

By embedding our Resource Centers directly within affordable housing communities, we foster deep, long-term relationships with the individuals we serve—ensuring convenient access to life-changing services that help break the cycle of poverty and build brighter futures.

For the past 26 years, Project Access has worked to transform the lives of underserved individuals and families across Orange County by integrating community partnerships, our Resource Center model, and high-quality resident services to deliver comprehensive programs that address the unique needs of the individuals we serve. Since then, we have expanded this model to 17 states across the country. This year, we anticipate serving over 28,000 residents. Our goals for the current year include: Provide innovative, impactful program services at saturation point in each community we serve; Maximize the fund raising capacity of the organization by diversifying our funding sources to include a variety of stakeholders; Invest in enculturation and employee development in ways that support our organization's focus on growth and improving quality services; Develop a proactive plan to strengthen the financial competencies of the organization in support of growth and longevity; Strengthen the brand in new and existing territories through research, segmentation, and target markets to better support fundraising

2025 ORGANIZATION GOALS:

Growth: Expanding developer pipeline, promoting innovations, and increasing brand awareness across communities.
People & Culture: Prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), attracting top talent, and improving employee engagement.
Fiscal Responsibility: Protecting revenue, ensuring financial sustainability, and managing strategic risks effectively.
Quality & Value: Enhancing technological infrastructure, expanding program reach, and delivering high-quality services to over 28,000 individuals nationwide.

“Today, millions of families across the country still struggle to afford a home that is safe, healthy, and connected to the resources they need: good schools, jobs that pay living wages, safe and reliable transportation, and high-quality health care.” – Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), 2018.

For families living on low and moderate incomes (earning <80% of area median income), gaining access to affordable housing is just the first step toward thriving. Maintaining stable housing and gaining equitable access to resources and opportunities is also vital. Project Access Resource Centers address the inequity of access for residents already living in 100+ affordable housing communities across 17 states by providing high-quality programs and social services onsite at no cost.

“Housing is more than a unit, and its location and surrounding neighborhood can provide access to safety and resources such as education, transportation, and employment. The set of resources, opportunities, and characteristics of the neighborhood can all help either boost or inhibit upward mobility for residents.” – Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard, 2021.

For more than two decades Project Access has worked to understand the needs of affordable housing residents from the residents themselves. We create impact using research-informed programming that is responsive to specific needs in the richly diverse communities we serve. We remove the barriers of transportation and cost and deliver high-quality programs designed to address the following additional inequities faced by income-restricted households.

Project Access provides programs and services that address needs in four key areas:

Economic Stability:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in 2024 among those with less than a high school diploma was 7%. For those with a diploma, the rate was 4%. And for those with a bachelor’s degree, the unemployment rate fell dramatically to 2.5%. These statistics demonstrate the necessity for children to start kindergarten ready to learn, achieve in school, avoid risky behaviors that can derail positive progress, graduate high school, and go on to higher education. Yet, this proves less likely for children who are raised in low-income families. According to the Center for Education Policy Analysis, the rising income inequality of the last four decades has been paralleled by a similar gap in academic achievement based on family income.

Education for Youth and Families:
The Nellie Mae Educational Foundation study titled “Critical Hours: After School Programs and Educational Success” found that students who attend after-school programs have greater engagement in learning and higher academic performance than those not involved in such a program. These students had better work habits, emotional adjustment, and peer relationships. Also, homework completion and quality improved, students scored higher on standardized tests, grade level retention decreased, and graduation rates increased. As students succeed academically and socially, self-esteem and attitudes improve as well. The Critical Hours study concludes that after-school programs increase educational equity.

Health & Wellness:
Individuals and families living in low-income communities face tremendous challenges in achieving healthy lifestyles. They often do not have access to health insurance through an employer, therefore experience poorer health outcomes than their economically advantaged counterparts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Health Disparities in Education and Income” Fact Sheet states “people who live and work in low socioeconomic circumstances are at increased risk for mortality, morbidity, unhealthy behaviors, reduced access to health care, and inadequate quality of care.” Additionally, the Gallup Well-Being Index found that individuals “making less than $36,000 per year suffer from much lower emotional and physical health, have poorer health habits, and have significantly less access to medical care.”

Community Building:
A report published by the National Governor’s Association in 2017 states that place-based strategies are effective local solutions to poverty and address community-level problems such as poor housing, social isolation, and fragmented service provisions. Furthermore, the paper states that nonprofit institutions have traditionally been involved in place-based initiatives by serving as a backbone for coordinating and delivering human services.

Project Access proudly operates 18 Family and Senior Resource Centers across Orange County, providing vital support to residents in need. Our flagship Family Resource Center, established over 25 years ago at Warwick Square Apartments in Santa Ana, California, has become a thriving hub for children, teens, and adults. Today, we have expanded our reach to more than 100 Family and Senior Resource Centers across California and 16 other states, serving over 28,000 individuals annually and strengthening communities nationwide.