Water Polo Star Shocks Fans: Invests $3.6 Million to Turn Luxury Home into Shelter for Homeless Youth in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA — The sun glinted off the crystal waters of the Olympic-sized pool behind the Brentwood mansion, the same waters where Xander Pierce once practiced for Olympic gold. But today, there was no glimmer of sports glory here—just the bustle of workers removing chandeliers, installing bunk beds, and transforming lavish living quarters into safe spaces.
Xander Pierce, 29, international water polo sensation and three-time Olympic medalist, announced this morning that he was converting his $3.6 million estate into a transitional housing facility for homeless and at-risk youth in Los Angeles.
The sports world erupted in shock.
Social media lit up with disbelief. “Wait, Xander Pierce the athlete-turned-entrepreneur is giving up his mansion?” one fan tweeted. “What kind of celebrity does that in LA?”
“I know what people think. That it’s crazy,” Pierce said in an emotional press conference held on the front lawn of the estate, now renamed The Haven at Crestview. “But if you’ve ever walked the streets of Skid Row, if you’ve ever sat and talked to a kid who aged out of foster care and had nowhere to go, you’ll understand why this matters more than a house ever could.”
Pierce’s journey to this point had been anything but conventional. Raised in San Pedro by a single mother who worked nights cleaning offices, Xander’s story had always included hardship. He was a standout in the pool by age 13, eventually earning a scholarship to Stanford and leading Team USA to gold in Rio.
His professional career was glittered with endorsements, six-figure appearance fees, and a lifestyle that included Ferraris, courtside Lakers seats, and this very Brentwood mansion—a 6,000-square-foot marvel of glass and granite that once graced the pages of Architectural Digest.
But something changed two years ago.
Pierce had begun volunteering quietly at Covenant House California, a shelter for youth facing homelessness. He kept it low-key—no press, no cameras, just Saturday nights helping in the kitchen and listening.
One night, he met Isaiah, a 17-year-old who had fled an abusive foster placement and was sleeping in an abandoned RV near Koreatown.
“He didn’t want money,” Pierce recalled. “He wanted to finish school. He wanted a job. He just needed a shot.”
That night stayed with him.
Within six months, Pierce had scaled back his brand endorsements, dissolved a real estate startup he’d launched post-Tokyo Olympics, and started researching transitional housing. He worked with urban planners, social workers, and legal teams to find a way to convert his mansion—zoned as a single-family home—into a multi-resident transitional facility.
Neighbors were hesitant at first. Some filed quiet complaints. Others asked pointed questions at HOA meetings. “But Xander came to every single one,” said Dr. Lisa Garvey, a retired pediatrician who lives next door. “He answered questions, introduced us to the staff he was hiring, and even invited us to meet some of the young people. He didn’t bulldoze his way through—he built community.”
The newly renamed Haven at Crestview will house up to 16 residents between the ages of 16 and 22. It includes four shared bedrooms, a communal kitchen, counseling rooms, a study area, and on-site support staff. Pierce himself plans to live in the smaller guesthouse at the back of the property.
“I’m not stepping away from my career,” he clarified. “I’m still training, still competing. But I want to live among the people I’m helping. I want to be part of the solution, not just the headline.”
Indeed, his move is already creating ripple effects.
“We’ve seen athletes donate money, sure,” said Carla Jiménez, director of LA Youth Futures, a nonprofit focusing on youth homelessness. “But we’ve never seen one literally open their doors. This could change the way people with privilege think about space.”
The cost of youth homelessness in Los Angeles remains staggering. Over 4,000 youth are estimated to be without stable housing on any given night. Many have aged out of foster care, fled violence, or identify as LGBTQ+ and face rejection from their families.
Pierce’s shelter won’t solve it all—but for kids like Isaiah, it changes everything.
“I moved in last week,” Isaiah said, standing beside Pierce in a clean T-shirt and borrowed jeans. “I sleep in a real bed now. I eat dinner at a table. I’m working on getting my GED. I’ve never had this kind of support.”
Asked what he hopes others take from this, Pierce didn’t hesitate.
“You don’t have to be famous to make a difference. I’ve seen people with very little give more than I ever have. But if you’re lucky enough to have something others don’t—money, property, platform—then use it. Use all of it.”
As the press conference wrapped, a group of volunteers continued working inside. The marble foyer where Pierce once hosted celebrity pool parties now held crates of donated clothing. The walk-in wine cellar had become a pantry. The hot tub? Filled in, now a raised garden bed for herbs and vegetables.
When asked if he missed the lifestyle he gave up, Pierce smiled.
“I still swim every morning. I still watch the sunset from the roof. But now, I do it knowing someone else gets to see the same view—someone who might’ve otherwise slept on the street. That’s the luxury.”