SACRAMENTO, CA 01/29/2026: LifeSTEPS, a California nonprofit leader in affordable and supportive housing resident services, proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1996, LifeSTEPS has remained committed to providing effective educational and supportive services that maximize individual strengths and help build resilient communities. 

For three decades, LifeSTEPS has pioneered innovative, evidence-based programs and delivered comprehensive onsite social services to residents of affordable and supportive housing communities. These services include intensive case management, aging in place support for seniors, community health services, free afterschool and summer reading programs for youth, eviction prevention, emergency financial assistance, and life skills education. Through this holistic approach, LifeSTEPS has positively impacted tens of thousands of residents and families across California, helping them achieve greater stability, independence, and wellbeing.  

 Since its founding in 1996, LifeSTEPS has grown from serving a single housing community to supporting more than 456 housing communities statewide. Over the past 30 years, the organization has reached significant milestones of impact, including:   

• In 2020, LifeSTEPS Community Health Program, formerly known as the RN Coaching Program, received the HUD Secretary’s Healthy Homes Award for its innovative approach to improving resident health outcomes, resulting in more than $1.1 million in cumulative medical cost savings. 

• Since 2011, LifeSTEPS has awarded more than $2.1 million in academic and trade school scholarships to over 644 low-income students, expanding access to education and career pathways. 

• Since its creation in 2012, the LifeSTEPS Eviction Prevention Program has provided more than $2.2 million in emergency rental assistance, achieving an average success rate of over 90 percent in keeping residents housed 12 months after receiving one-time Assistance. 

• During the COVID 19 pandemic, LifeSTEPS delivered onsite education to 70,443 residents, distributed $1.69 million worth of in-kind donations, and provided $560,000 in preemptive rental assistance to housing communities across California. 

• LifeSTEPS has supported over 291 families successfully graduating from the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, an eight-year voluntary initiative that helps Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher participants achieve long term economic independence. 

“For 30 years, LifeSTEPS has remained deeply committed to one simple but powerful belief: when people are given the right support at the right time, they can transform their lives and their futures,” said Beth Southorn, Executive Director of LifeSTEPS. “What began in 1996 as a vision to bring meaningful services into affordable housing communities has grown into a statewide model rooted in dignity, prevention, and long-term impact.”  

“Our work has not only changed individual lives; but it has also generated meaningful cost savings for critical healthcare and public service systems by preventing crises before they occur. Eviction prevention and early intervention allow us to catch families before they fall, which is truly a game-changer. By keeping residents housed, stabilizing health outcomes, and supporting children early, we help avoid the long-term trauma that housing instability can create for families.” 

“Our work has not only changed individual lives, it has also generated meaningful cost savings for critical health care and public service systems by preventing crises before they occur. Eviction prevention and early intervention allow us to support families before they fall into instability. By keeping residents housed, improving health outcomes, and supporting children early, we help prevent the long-term trauma that housing instability can create.”

To honor this milestone, LifeSTEPS will host events and initiatives throughout 2026. As the organization celebrates its 30th anniversary, it honors the residents who inspire this work every day, the frontline social workers who lead with compassion and expertise, and the partners and supporters who have stood alongside LifeSTEPS for three decades. This anniversary marks not only how far the organization has come, but also a renewed commitment to breaking cycles of generational poverty and building resilient communities across California for years to come. 

In addition to celebrating its 30th anniversary, LifeSTEPS is also commemorating the 15-year anniversary of the JB Brown Fund, in partnership with USA Properties Fund. Since its inception, the JB Brown Fund has raised more than $2 million and has positively impacted the lives of thousands of affordable housing residents through senior services, academic and trade school scholarships, eviction prevention, emergency assistance, and youth sports scholarships. To commemorate this milestone, the JB Brown Fund will host a gala on October 15, 2026, at McClellan Park in Sacramento. 

The public is invited to join the celebration by signing up for the LifeSTEPS newsletter at www.lifestepsusa.org/connect, following LifeSTEPS on social media, or contributing at www.lifestepsusa.org/donate. 

For more information about LifeSTEPS and its 30 years of service and impact, visit www.lifestepsusa.org.  

Contact Information: 

Bex Rielly
Communications and Marketing Manager
Main: (916) 965 0110 ext. 224
bex@lifestepsusa.org