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Educators at Canyon Creek Apartments in Paso Robles are collaborating with the SLO Food Bank to hold a monthly Farmer’s Market for students, where they learn about healthy produce, finances, and more!
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 Dear Friend,
Though we’ve battled and made strides against the pandemic, it’s not over yet. Even more persistent and stubborn though, has been the pandemic of unaffordable housing, which People’s continues to combat against on a daily basis. While the latter pandemic has no single vaccine, a very effective one for inoculating against housing cost unaffordability for the most vulnerable income groups among us, including our communities’ frontline, essential, wage-earner workforce, is the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program.
First arriving on the scene as a result of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, signed into law during the Reagan Administration, the LIHTC program has achieved tremendous bipartisan support and successful implementation across the nation since then, creating millions of permanently affordable housing units, including thousands of units across the Central Coast. Through a majority contribution made from private equity investment, partnered with public agencies’ participation and oversight, each project is independently, sustainably financed to be permanently affordable to future occupants who are lower income-earning.
This program provided the lion’s share of financing for our projects highlighted this month herein, enabling People’s to sustainable affordably house more farmworkers and their families in Guadalupe, as well as low-income earning seniors in Santa Maria. We and housing advocates nationwide are very encouraged to see several even better improvements to the LIHTC program are now in the works at the Federal level that are likely to boost future production of affordable housing, including along the Central Coast!
It will take multiple shots and boosters to keep fighting the affordable housing pandemic. And the many talented, motived, and skilled people at our organization are dedicated to continued work administering the cure for it. We are now working on 1,000+ new units in our production pipeline, making us poised to add a significant increase in affordable houses, both for home ownership and rentals. Through increasing the local housing supply, along with delivering thousands of hours of services to support stabilized households, we are creating new opportunities to change lives among our thousands of Central Coast residents, to ultimately strengthen our local communities. Join us in celebrating some of our standout employees in this month’s edition who help make it happen!
Ken Trigueiro, CEO & President |
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 Sustainability ‘LEED’ership
Guadalupe Court, one of our newest farmworker properties, has received a platinum award through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, the most widely-used green building rating system in the world. This achievement is particularly exciting as it’s also the first property in the City of Guadalupe to receive this designation! Earlier this month, Cheryl Rasmussen, Assistant Project Design Coordinator (pictured left) and Maggie Alba, Guadalupe Court Property Manager (pictured right), unveiled the plaque onsite to recognize the certification! |
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| Celebrating our 2021 Employee Award Winners… |
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 Employee of the Year
The Employee of the Year is awarded via nomination from fellow team members, in recognition of a coworker who stands out for the efforts they have made throughout the year.
The 2021 Employee of the Year winner is Cindy Calderon, Senior Property Manager at Jardin de las Rosas in Santa Barbara. Cindy was selected by her peers for her patience, attention to detail, and continued willingness to support others throughout her seven years with the organization. |
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 President’s Award
In its fourth year, this award is selected by the PSHH CEO & President to honor an employee for extending their efforts above the call of duty in support of our mission, our residents, and their fellow employees.
The 2021 President’s Award winner is Dalia Flores, Project Manager for Multifamily Housing Development. This year, Dalia has supported critical initiatives, supported her coworkers during times of major transition, and displayed leadership through her participation on the IDEA Commission – among much more! |
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 Students’ Scores Soar!
The Camino Scholars program has published their end-of-year data showing grades and skill-based improvements from students during the past school year!
At the start of the year, only 35% of students enrolled in the program were reading at grade level and 32% of students were two or more grade levels behind in reading. By the end of the school year, 61% of students are now reading at their grade level or higher and only 13% of students are needing greater assistance. Overall, the program has seen a 74% increase in student scores compared to the start of the academic year!
Camino Scholars is PSHH’s nationally recognized after-school education program. Students benefit from small learning cohorts and are supported by in-person instruction personalized to their individual needs. To sign up a student for the Camino Scholars program, email us! |
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 Expanding Home Ownership
This month, plans for new PSHH Home Ownership neighborhoods in San Miguel and Nipomo were approved by the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission. Adding to this exciting news, our Home Ownership team also closed escrow on a 4.5 acre site in Greenfield, where we hope to build 36 self-help homes in the future! We look forward to bringing more homeownership opportunities to the Central Coast in the years to come.
Subscribe to our quarterly Home Ownership Newsletter to learn more updates as these projects progress! |
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August Partnerships
Thank you to these incredible partners who have helped support our mission this month:
- Avila Beach Community Foundation – $2,000 in support of the Supportive Housing Program
- Mechanics Bank – $15,000 in support of the Community Independence Initiative
- Santa Barbara Foundation – $5,000 in support of WiFi services at Heath House
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