How the Preserving Our Diversity (POD) program helps seniors stay housed in Santa Monica
January 2, 2025 9:50 AM
by Melinda Espinoza
“There’s a lot of value in people my age. When POD enables people to get out there and shake things up, to not always worry – that’s a life saver.” – Vincent
After years riding the ups and downs of a career in the New York fashion industry, surgery for a stress-induced medical condition was the ultimate wake-up call for Vincent. He knew he needed a dramatic life change.
A vacation to Santa Monica in 1992 showed him what that change needed to be. Two weeks later, he moved to Santa Monica and has lived in the same apartment ever since.
After his move, Vincent went into the advertising business, complete with a 401K plan and all the trappings of a stable job. But he missed fashion. It was his calling. So he risked it all – the 401K plan, everything – to start his own fashion business. He designed evening gowns that were worn by A-listers.
But the fashion industry is difficult, and fickle, and he fell on hard times, only made harder by the fact that he was getting older. He tried to find a new job in the industry, but young executives didn’t want to hire someone his age. The fact that he’d been in the business before they were even born was seen as a detriment, not an asset.
So, he focused his energy on giving back to his community, volunteering his time on fundraisers and creating a mentorship program to help young people break into the fashion industry. Prominent figures thanked him for the amounts of funds he helped raise for charity – while his own bank account steadily declined.
Then one day, about three years ago, he received a mailer from the city of Santa Monica advertising the Preserving Our Diversity, or POD, program, a cash-based assistance program for longtime Santa Monica residents who are struggling to make ends meet as they get older.
He got in the touch with the city’s Housing Division and was connected with Policy and Performance Analyst Nicholas Sundback, who answered his questions about the application and championed him through the process.
“Nicholas was awesome,” Vincent said. “He was like, this could work, let me help you. I could feel that he cared. I could be transparent with him, upfront and honest about my situation.”
Vincent now receives a debit card each month that helps supplement any income he makes from jobs he picks up. It’s a huge relief, he says, at his age, to not have to always be hustling to find the next gig.
“POD has helped me breathe,” Vincent said. “Has helped me live. Has helped me make friends. It enables me to go out and be active – to go to Memorial Park and play pickleball and make friends. I'm not in a state of constant worrying about making ends meet.”
After spending so much time volunteering and supporting the community, Vincent says he feels like the POD program is the community’s way of honoring his hard work and supporting him.
“No one wants to put weight on an older person,” he said. “POD gives me a sense of community value. It’s assuring me that I belong to this community. It enables me to enjoy my life.”
POD has also helped create intergenerational relationships that would not have been possible for him otherwise.
Vincent says that when he goes to Memorial Park, the other regular players – mostly younger than him – recognize him and say hi, and ask when he will be back next. In a time when it is increasingly lonely to be an older person, those connections make him feel like he is still relevant. That, he says, is the beauty of the POD program.
“There’s a lot of value in people my age. When POD enables people to get out there and shake things up, to not always worry – that’s a life saver.”
The POD program is currently accepting applications from income-qualified long-term Santa Monica seniors age 65+. In January, eligibility for the program will be expanded to include seniors who moved into their rent-controlled apartment prior to 2005 (was previously 2000). If you think you might qualify, please visit santamonica.gov/housing-pod for more information or email podprogram@santamonica.gov.
Authored By
Melinda Espinoza
Communications and Marketing Coordinator