LOS ANGELES — Reading the Bible is how Zoya Kolesnikova starts her days in her new Historic Filipinotown apartment, where she can shower, rest and feel comfortable a part of this community.
Kolesnikova was was homeless for eight years before moving into the HiFi Collective in October. She was a history professor in Russia before that, where she said she experienced “racist abuse, sexual abuse. I was hospitalized for six months over there and took a lot of pills.”
But now, Kolesnikova is getting the help she needs, mentally and physically, in an affordable housing community with access to doctors, food and a case manager from Linc Housing, which provides supportive services to residents using Los Angeles County funding.
“Receiving this apartment was a miracle,” Kolesnikova said.
The miracle was granted by the collaboration between the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans and Linc Housing. SIPA is a nonprofit that, for 50 years, has offered programs for Filipino youth and families through education, counseling, business support and more. Executive director Kimmy Maniquis says they wanted to expand their affordable housing communities for not just Filipinos, but all Angelenos in need.
"We saw that housing became an increasing issue for residents of Filipinotown and Los Angeles," said Maniquis. "And the partnership with Linc can address lack of housing while redeveloping the property as well."
The housing community is also the headquarters for SIPA and is still under construction to create event spaces, gardens, a wellness center, kitchen and more. SIPA will also be coordinating workshops and other activities for the residents upstairs.
"They are facing unaffordability in the community, and it’s not unique to Filipinos," Maniquis said. "I think our approach toward helping communities thrive is that if you address needs of the most vulnerable, then we all rise.”
They are addressing the needs of residents like Kolesnikova, who says it has been life-changing getting off the streets and having an apartment for herself.