$7 Million in Grants Ignites Matching Challenge for Robert K. Ross Center in Downtown LA

Funding from MacArthur Foundation and Whittier Trust will support affordable housing and community development efforts.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 11:23am

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Linc Housing Corporation announced a major infusion of $7 million in catalytic capital from the MacArthur Foundation and Whittier Trust to advance the Robert K. Ross Center for Hope and Healing and related community development efforts in downtown Los Angeles. The funding includes a $3 million Program Related Investment and $500,000 grant from MacArthur, as well as a $2 million grant from Whittier Trust's Young Adult Forward Fund paired with a $1.5 million matching grant opportunity.

Why it matters

This philanthropic investment builds on recent momentum for the Robert K. Ross Center, which recently received a $24.1 million loan and $14.1 million grant from the state's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. The funding will support the development of 124 affordable and supportive housing units, as well as transportation and public realm improvements in the surrounding neighborhood.

The details

The MacArthur Foundation's PRI will support Linc Housing's development activities across the broader Hope Village area, initially for the Robert K. Ross Center and also to advance predevelopment for the nearby New High Village permanent supportive housing project. The Whittier Trust's $1.5 million matching grant creates an opportunity for additional donors to help complete the capital stack and accelerate construction of the Robert K. Ross Center.

  • The Robert K. Ross Center's first phase is expected to break ground this summer.
  • The MacArthur Foundation PRI has a 10-year term.

The players

Linc Housing Corporation

A leading nonprofit developer of affordable housing in California, committed to building communities and strengthening neighborhoods for underserved populations.

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

A private foundation that supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.

Whittier Trust

A private wealth management firm that manages assets and provides investment advisory services, including the Young Adult Forward Fund.

The California Endowment

A private, statewide health foundation whose mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.

Robert K. Ross

The former CEO of The California Endowment, who inspired the Hope Village initiative along with Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries.

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What they’re saying

“This combination of public and philanthropic capital allows us to move faster on developments that sit at the intersection of housing, healing and justice.”

— Suny Lay Chang, President and COO of Linc Housing (PRNewswire)

“We are thrilled to support Linc Housing's work to address critical housing shortages and address gentrification in downtown Los Angeles. This type of bold, community-informed place-based investing is a powerful way to contribute to solutions to the city's housing challenges.”

— Allison Clark, Associate Director of Impact Investments at the McArthur Foundation (PRNewswire)

“The Ross Center reflects our belief that health and equity are built through long-term, community-rooted investments. By contributing our land and pairing it with Social Equity Bond capital and flexible philanthropic investment from the MacArthur Foundation and Whittier Trust, we are demonstrating how philanthropy can activate real estate assets to transform neighborhoods and model new approaches to community well-being.”

— Brenda Solórzano, President and CEO of The California Endowment (PRNewswire)

What’s next

The Whittier Trust Young Adult Forward Fund's $1.5 million matching grant creates a time-sensitive opportunity for additional donors to help complete the capital stack and accelerate construction of the Robert K. Ross Center for Hope and Healing. Contributions to help secure this matching grant can be made to the California Community Foundation's Robert K. Ross Center for Hope and Healing Fund.

The takeaway

This major philanthropic investment in the Robert K. Ross Center for Hope and Healing demonstrates how public-private partnerships and community-informed, place-based initiatives can address critical housing and health equity challenges in urban neighborhoods.