August News from Peoples’ Self-Help Housing

Newsletter | August 2020

Since we weren’t able to celebrate in person, on August 6, PSHH staff gathered for a special Company Celebration in honor of our 50th Anniversary! Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey for the past 50 years. Join us in the celebration: pshhc.org/anniversary
Dear Friend,

This month Peoples’ Self-Help Housing is celebrating its 50thAnniversary!

In August of 1970 when a group of people, concerned about those in the community having difficulty finding housing, organized to address the situation and to take advantage of newly available funding, I’m not sure that they knew exactly what a legacy they were creating.

Fifty years later, I am so grateful for their vision, personal sacrifice and effort as it has made our organization what it is today. Although we have changed in so many ways – we are now no longer a group of grass roots volunteers hefting our own shovels to a single lot, but a $200M business, 200+ employees strong – we are fundamentally the same; people with a heart for others and for affordable housing.

Our State continues to face many of the same challenges it did in 1970. Strains on budgets, pressure on natural resources, differences of opinion on how to plan, pay for and protect our beloved communities. Viewpoints continue to be varied and at times, can lead to heated and protracted debates, but our style has never wavered, always looking to the long-term solution, and building collaborations and good relationships.

As we did fifty years ago, we all still agree that California needs more housing.  Not second homes, vacation or short stay rentals but housing for hard working people already living in the state. The folks teaching our children, caring for our seniors, stocking our supermarkets, and keeping our hiking trails and parks beautiful for all of us to enjoy.

As many of you know, I will be retiring very soon and I couldn’t be more proud to be handing off to my successor an organization that is strong, dedicated to its mission, and habitually looked to for its pragmatism and compassion. Thank you for all the ways you have made the first fifty years of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing possible, here’s to the next!

President’s Summer Book Club
As today, August 18th marks the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States, PSHH President & CEO John Fowler has selected The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss as the second installment of the President’s Summer Book Club.Following a handful of remarkable women who led their respective forces into battle, The Woman’s Hour is the gripping story of how America’s women won their own freedom, and the opening campaign in the great twentieth-century battles for civil rights.
Celebrating 50 Years!
On August 6, 2020 PSHH celebrated our 50th Anniversary!Back in 1970, in San Luis Obispo, a small group of local leaders joined together in concern about the lack of affordable housing. Since then, our organization has been able to help over 1,200 households realize their dreams of homeownership, establish 54 service-enriched rental properties, and serve over 5,000 individuals across four counties.

This celebration belongs not just to us, but to all those who have shared in our story thus far. Thank you for your inspiring continued support of our mission – we look forward to the next chapter!

Make a Gift in Honor of our 50th Anniversary
New Housing in Northern Santa Barbara County!
Two beautiful, new PSHH properties are accepting applications! Visit our website for eligibility, applications, and contact information!

  • Guadalupe Court | Guadalupe, CA | Housing for Farmworkers
  • Sierra Madre Cottages | Santa Maria, CA | Housing for Seniors

Want to learn more? Watch a virtual tour of Guadalupe Court and Sierra Madre Cottages on the PSHH YouTube Channel!

50 Years. 50 Stories. 
Celebrate our 50th Anniversary with a limited-edition Peoples’ Self-Help Housing publication! Discover the great moments that led us to where we are today with ‘50 Years. 50 Stories.’, a special selection of stories from throughout our history. Click here to purchase your copy!All proceeds benefit PSHH residents!
During COVID-19 closures, contact us with inquiries at (805) 781-3088 or info@pshhc.org. For property contact information, visit pshhc.org/looking-for-housing.
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We build affordable homes with site-based services that offer opportunities to change lives and strengthen communities on the Central Coast of California.

Our mailing address is:

Peoples Self Help Housing

3533 Empleo Street

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401