Dora Leong Gallo
This year marks the 35th anniversary of A Community of Friends (ACOF) and the 20th year that Dora Leong Gallo has been at the helm of the affordable housing organization.
The Los Angeles-based nonprofit has several notable developments under construction this year, including Lorena Plaza, a hard-fought 49-unit community that includes 32 supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness and with a mental illness. ACOF and Gallo held firm for 14 years as the project was battered by a recession, obstructive neighbors, legal battles, and other major blows.
Like a heavyweight fighter refusing to be knocked out, ACOF finally prevailed, breaking ground on Lorena Plaza in L.A.’s Boyle Heights neighborhood at the end of last year. The housing is being built on land owned by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a critical partner in the development.
During the long journey, project supporters heard a number of derogatory comments about the proposed development and its future residents. That angered Gallo, and it made her and her team even more steadfast in its purpose. The nonprofit makes it very clear that it’s here to end homelessness by providing permanent supportive housing for people with a mental health diagnosis. ACOF is the only developer in Southern California and likely beyond that includes the words “affordable housing” and “mental illness” in its mission statement, notes Gallo, president and CEO.
“If we want to break the stigma of mental illness, we have to own it, and we have to say it,” she says.
Lorena Plaza may help spur other changes. In December, the construction site served as a fitting backdrop for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass when she signed a directive calling on the city to streamline the approval process for affordable housing projects.
ACOF has several other developments under construction, including Ventura Springs, a 120-unit development for homeless and disabled veterans in San Buenaventura, and Oasis Senior Villas, a 95-unit development for older adults and veterans experiencing homelessness and living with a mental illness in Riverside. More housing is in the pipeline.
The organization is present in five Southern California counties and has developed more than 2,000 affordable housing units over the years.
As Gallo enters her 20th year at ACOF, she reflects on how she has changed as a leader.
“Over the years I have come to realize how important it is to not just talk the talk but to walk the walk as a leader,” says the CEO. “Integrity has always been an important personal value, but I now firmly believe it is also important to establishing organizational credibility. Another lesson learned over the years is the importance of developing your employees—to provide not just job skills training but also opportunities to grow as a person and to lead. So many people have gone on from ACOF to lead other nonprofits over the past 35 years. It’s been great for the field. I’m now trying to be more intentional about helping prepare people for those growth opportunities, both internal and external.”
Active beyond ACOF, Gallo is board chair of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and on the board of Enterprise Community Partners.
