WISEPlace

To lead the effort of ending homelessness for survivors of domestic violence through housing solutions and empowering wraparound services that provide a path toward personal self-reliance.

Since 1929, WISEPlace has served more than 8,953 individuals by providing housing solutions such as shelter, affordable housing, and rent assistance paired with counseling and mental health services.

We first opened our doors as the South Orange County YWCA nearly a century ago. In the 1980s, after seeing a growing number of women sleeping on our property at night, we knew we needed to step up and be part of the solution. In 1987, we opened the Hotel for Women, a 19-room transitional shelter, which ultimately became WISEPlace in 2000. In March 2025, we rose up again to meet the evolving needs of our community and opened our first permanent supportive housing – WISEPlace on Broadway.

Throughout our nearly 100-year history, WISEPlace has walked beside thousands of women on their journeys toward personal stability and continues to be a beacon of hope for the most vulnerable in our community.

WISEPlace is the only Orange County-based nonprofit leading the effort to end homelessness for unaccompanied women and survivors of domestic violence. 100% of the women we serve are survivors of domestic violence, some are survivors of human trafficking, and all have incomes below the poverty line. These and other factors put our participants at a greater risk of homelessness.

We have made great strides in our mission to end homelessness for the unaccompanied women we serve. WISEPlace on Broadway is the first and only permanent supportive housing community in Orange County to designate housing vouchers for domestic violence survivors earning no more than 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). We also provide critical rental support and services through Rapid Rehousing, as well as through our DV Bonus Program, which has provided over $3 million in rental assistance to over 330 survivors in Orange County. Our comprehensive, solutions-based approach has made a profound impact – 95% of our participants attained AND retained housing in 2025.

As we look toward the future, WISEPlace is working to increase the amount of affordable housing for South Orange County residents earning up to 50% AMI (an annual household income of roughly $67,000). In addition, WISEPlace has launched a Basic Income Program, which provides our clients with the financial stability they need to pursue housing, employment, and personal well-being. These objectives will enable WISEPlace to create our own Continuum of Care and ensure quality programs regardless of where the client falls on the housing spectrum (shelter, rental, housing, etc.).

While the opening of our permanent supportive housing has been a huge step forward in ending homelessness in Orange County, it caused us to lose our centralized shelter. We are leasing shelter homes in the interim, but our resources are spread thin. WISEPlace needs to have centralized shelter again – will you help us achieve our goal?

Our three most pressing needs are:
• Purchasing Affordable Housing or Mini Houses – to provide us with centralized transitional shelter space and expand the number of clients we serve.
• Growing Our Staff – to provide us with the staffing infrastructure needed to support our goals, particularly in fund development, which will alleviate strain on existing staff and address drastic reductions in government funding. Currently, we are only a staff of 9.
• Securing Multi-Year Gifts – to support our strategic infrastructure growth plan and enable us to serve more vulnerable women in our community.

WISEPlace serves unaccompanied adult women and survivors of domestic violence experiencing homelessness in all cities throughout Orange County.

When I was appointed to lead WISEPlace in 2018, the organization faced daunting challenges. After more than a decade of annual deficits exceeding $116,000, WISEPlace was on the precipice of shutting its doors, risking the loss of a critical resource for women in Orange County. We were over $2 million in debt and had a $1 million lien on the property. As I walked through the building on my first day, water dripped from the ceilings and smoke curled out of electrical outlets. I knew that radical change was needed – not just to save WISEPlace, but to reinvent its role in the community.

I am proud to say that we have completely turned WISEPlace around. Within my first year, we repaired our buildings, mainstreamed program operations, improved efficiency, and expanded our reach. The impact was clear: we increased the number of clients we served by 182%. Simultaneously, we stabilized and grew the organization’s financials by an unprecedented 640%. WISEPlace is no longer barely surviving – we are thriving.

WISEPlace is truly an underdog that overperforms and every dollar donated has a direct impact in Orange County. As our organization continues to evolve and grow to meet the needs of the community, we remain deeply committed to uplifting women experiencing homelessness and empowering them to regain independence and rebuild their lives with dignity.

I am proud to serve as WISEPlace President and Chair of the Board of Directors and deeply believe in its mission to end homelessness for unaccompanied women in Orange County. I first became involved with WISEPlace several years ago as a volunteer offering pro-bono legal counsel to shelter participants. After seeing the incredible work WISEPlace is doing in our community, I joined the Board of Directors in 2021 and became Vice President of Governance and Audit in 2022.

As an Assistant Professor of Law at Chapman University and Senior Counsel at Keller/Anderle, my background as an attorney and former diplomat gives me a unique perspective on community empowerment. I believe that providing women in need with compassion and the tools they need to rebuild their lives is key to ending homelessness in our community. I am filled with pride as I look back on WISEPlace’s growth and incredible transformation over the past several years, but I know there is much more for us to do. I am deeply committed to our goals of strategically growing staff and building infrastructure as they will take us one big step closer to our vision of an Orange County where every person in need is safely housed, empowered, and on a path to personal stability.