The City of Baldwin Park has received the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in the Housing Programs and Innovations category from the League of California Cities.
The award, presented to city staff on Thursday at the Cal Cities Annual Conference in Long Beach, recognizes the work of Baldwin Park’s Esperanza Villa and Serenity Homes “interim housing” facilities. Since opening in 2021 and 2022, these facilities have played a key role in Baldwin Park achieving an 80% reduction in homelessness.
“This award is a powerful affirmation of what Baldwin Park stands for: compassion, innovation and community,” said Baldwin Park Mayor Alejandra Avila. “Our city chose to believe that homelessness could be addressed with dignity and humanity, and that belief has changed lives. The Helen Putnam Award recognizes the tireless efforts of our staff, our partners and our residents who refused to accept that homelessness was unsolvable. Together, we’ve built a model of hope for cities across California.”
Since launching Esperanza Villa in November 2021 and Serenity Homes in September 2022, Baldwin Park has experienced an 80% reduction in homelessness over five years, from 556 individuals in 2020 to 108 in 2025. The two complementary facilities serve distinct populations with tailored approaches: Esperanza Villa provides 25 units for adult individuals with 90-day stays, while Serenity Homes offers 16 family-focused units designed to keep families together during their 3-6 month transition period.
The “interim housing” model provides residents with private, climate-controlled units complete with locking doors, full-size beds and furnishings. Both facilities feature ADA-compliant spaces, multilingual services and culturally competent staff to serve Baldwin Park’s diverse community.
Dedicated children’s spaces at Serenity Homes help young residents maintain educational progress and healthy development. On-site computer facilities enable residents to continue their education and job searches, and comprehensive case management services are provided through partnership with City Net.
This recognition follows the city’s receipt of the 2025 Southern California Association of Governments Sustainability Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability, the program’s highest honor category, which also celebrated Baldwin Park’s Homeless Reduction Initiative for its approach to building sustainable solutions.
“Baldwin Park’s achievements reflect what can happen when every part of local government works toward a shared purpose,” said Mayor Alejandra Avila. “Our departments, staff and partners collaborated relentlessly to build programs that treat every person with dignity while delivering measurable, lasting results. This is the kind of work that defines who we are as a city.”
For more information about Baldwin Park’s Homeless Reduction Initiative, visit baldwinpark.com/537/Homeless-Services.
