Tag: Peoples’ Self-Help Housing

People’s Self-Help Housing Recognizes Three Staff Members for 15 Years of Service

CENTRAL COAST — People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) Property Manager, Maria Serna, Director of Clinical Services, Rick Gulino, and Compliance Specialist, Chris Morrison are all celebrating fifteen years of dedicated service to the organization.

“Maria, Rick, and Chris have all been instrumental in their respective teams,” said Anna Miller, Chief Operating Officer. “We are so fortunate for the leadership and institutional knowledge these three have brought to the organization for the last fifteen years.” 

People’s Self-Help Housing — SLO Planning Commission seeking public input on Sept. 28 for Dana Reserve master-planned community

This Thursday, September 28, at 1:00PM, our County Planning Commission will be inviting public input to discuss a project that will allow People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) to develop 104 units of affordable rental housing within the overall Dana Reserve master-planned community.

So that everyone will have a chance to be heard, quite rightly the Commission has called for an additional public study session. This is so YOUR opinion can be voiced, in addition to the group who have already expressed their point of view.

Located west of US Highway 101 in Nipomo, and named the Dana Reserve, the overall project includes 104 units of deed-restricted affordable housing that would be developed and operated by PSHH. If approved, the developer will gift this land to our organization, which will bring much-needed affordable housing for Nipomo, a welcoming community that is key to so many who live, work, and recreate along the Central Coast.

Bilingual report — September News from People’s Self-Help Housing / Noticias de septiembre de People’s Self-Help Housing

Aunque desde Washington DC no se ve ningún apoyo presupuestal significativo para abordar la crisis de viviendas asequibles, este mes vimos venir una ayuda útil, variada y pragmática desde la legislatura de California.

No surgió una solución milagrosa, pero en conjunto los proyectos de ley enviados al escritorio del Gobernador, medidas que se someterían a votación en las boletas, hacen que la construcción de viviendas asequibles sea menos onerosa, más ágil y ayude a frenar sus crecientes costos. Las señales más positivas fueron que estas medidas experimentaron relativamente poca oposición, sólo algunos niveles limitados de discusión en el debate público, y que existe una sensación cada vez mayor de consenso en todo el estado.

Algunas victorias importantes para la creación de nuevas viviendas asequibles incluyen:?

Bilingual report — August News from People’s Self-Help Housing

This month we’ve been looking back, and looking ahead, and celebrating all that’s brought us to the milestone of serving our communities for 53 years.  Much has changed, and much has been accomplished since three local volunteers came together around a common mission to serve their community, and eventually form our organization to carry it out and magnify.  What’s not changed is the need for creating many more affordable housing opportunities, and coming alongside those among us who are struggling to meet basic needs, in support of our community’s most vulnerable.

July News from People’s Self-Help Housing

We are in the midst of a Summer of Celebration here at People’s!

Last week saw the Grand Opening of Templeton Place II – 36 units of truly permanently affordable housing for seniors and veterans, some of whom have come directly out of homelessness. $17M of investment went in this development, substantial amounts of which were injected straight into the local economy through construction subcontracting, including with a designated Disabled Veteran Enterprise. Though many challenges and obstacles showed up along the way, partnerships with multiple federal and state agencies and stakeholders from around the local community, made it happen!

June News from People’s Self-Help Housing

America is recognizing National Homeownership Month during June, and People’s is working toward making that American Dream more possible across the Central Coast, every day. Since 1970, we have continued to bridge seemingly insurmountable gaps for those locked out of the intergenerational benefits from homeownership and facilitated the construction of over 1,200 self-help houses for first-time owners. Though substantial gains have been made, our local challenges continue to grow exponentially. The increasing barriers to homeownership are in large part a result of what’s occurred over the past 50 years; a steadily widening gap between earnings and housing costs. 

People’s Self Help Housing — Celebrating NeighborWorks Week 2023

Join us in recognizing NeighborWorks Week! This time brings organizations across the country together to celebrate community successes and to see how we can work together build stronger neighborhoods.

Helping people access safe, supportive housing leads to thriving, healthier communities for all of us. With the support of NeighborWorks America, People’s Self-Help Housing has helped empower communities throughout the Central Coast by:
Bringing the stability and wealth-building opportunities of homeownership to 1,200+ households
Serving 5,000+ residents with compassionate property management and supportive services
Providing 200+ dedicated team members with reliable, impactful careers

People’s Self Help Housing — Introducing ‘The Blueprint’!

The topic of housing, in short, is complicated.

Why build, where to build, and who to build for arouses fierce debate and throws into sharp relief the complex issues surrounding the housing crisis.

From white papers to opinion pieces, emerging legislation to ballot measures, quarterly we will be curating a variety of resources to help you become an informed advocate for affordable housing.

Thank you for joining us for this pilot of The Blueprint; we invite you to subscribe below to receive future editions.

May News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Dear Friend,
It’s mental health awareness month, and that subject is on our minds every month at People’s.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “one in five US adults experience mental illness each year, and less than half of them receive treatment.” Fortunately for our residents, our onsite professional and specially trained permanent supportive housing services team members are available to anyone needing assistance, support, referrals and advocacy when facing mental health issues. For many who we serve, and particularly for some who are transitioning out of years of housing instability, the provision of People’s Supportive Housing Program services is one of most critically key ingredients for promoting mental health wellness and to facilitate a successful housing experience. Your support of our services directly meets these needs every day.

April News from People’s Self-Help Housing

The Builder Games returns this Saturday, April 22! Join us and cheer on eight local teams racing against the clock and facing fun challenges as they compete to build the best playhouse. Your ticket includes a delicious meal, fine wine, craft beer, live music, and more! Funds raised benefit the programs of PSHH.

March News from People’s Self-Help Housing

March is Women’s History Month, and the history of People’s has primarily been shaped by women. Starting in our earliest years nearly five decades ago, under the leadership of our founding Executive Director, through today’s governance lead by our Board of Directors Chair, principally women have driven our successes.

History continues to be made by the women of People’s through the talents of our women, representing over 60% of our staff, more than 66% of our supervisors, and a majority of our Board Members. Since the majority of our residents are women, it’s fitting that the voices of women are the primary decision makers and policymakers historically and today at People’s.

This will continue to be a priority value for our organization, to approach our ongoing strategies for meeting needs of women, designed by women for women, under our guiding principal of “nothing about her without her.”

February News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Dear Friend,
Out of the 67,000 mortgages insured by the GI Bill, less than 100 went to African Americans. Black History Month gives us the opportunity to learn more, and sit longer with hard to absorb facts such as these.

Here are two more. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts and data derived from the US Census Bureau:

In 2022, 74.6% of White households owned their homes, compared with 45.3% of Black households
In 1960, the White homeownership rate was 65%, and the Black rate was 38% 
The gap is widening.

Homeownership is often referred to as the ‘American Dream’ but this ‘dream deferred’ is what is behind the crushing poverty of so many of our citizens. As a housing developer, we see the positive effects every day of what takes place happen when the opposite happens when the dream is realized.

Thank you for your support of affordable housing in your neighborhood,

January News from People’s Self-Help Housing

At PSHH, we are not afraid to ask questions.

Now in our third year of DEI training, we have more than just poked at the edges; we have gone deep into the DNA of our fifty two year old organization. Marked with further and significant investments of funds and time, the next twelve months will see our staff-led initiatives continue to explore where we are, where we are going, and humbly, where we want to be.

Our continued progress is thanks to the authentic participation of our 200+ team members who have vulnerably shared their feelings and with conviction embraced new opportunities.

April 22 — People’s Self-Help Housing announces 2023 Builder Games – Get your tickets early and save!

This Spring, support People’s Self-Help Housing at their signature fundraiser – The Builder Games!

Cheer on teams building playhouses, as they race against the clock and face fun challenges. See who becomes this year’s ‘Builder Games Champion’, while enjoying gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer, and live music.

Best of 2022 from People’s Self-Help Housing!

This year was marked with so much success because of strong partnerships, faithful support and visionary investments from people like you. Thank you for every part you played through your advocacy, goodwill and generous support.

Thank you for continuing to build so much more than housing with us.

December News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Thanks to your continued and generous support, we are encouraged to be ending 2022 strong! Though many challenges came along this year, there has been much to celebrate:

Construction Pipeline: Taking advantage of all possible solutions to the continuing housing crisis, we put 1,300 units into our pipeline. We built new units, substantially rehabilitated existing ones, and secured several new tracts for ‘self-help’ owner builders.
Creative Collaborations: The brick-and-mortar of construction is only part of the multi-faceted challenge of development. The quest for buildable land saw us creatively collaborating with state and local governments, private owners, and faith-based partners.

People’s Self-Help Housing — Your support is needed!

At one of our ten Learning Centers, 62% of students began the academic year two or more grade levels behind their peers. By the end of the year, only 5% of students were still two or more grade levels behind.

Also greatly improved was the number of students reading at or above grade level: increasing from 10 to 42%.

November News from People’s Self-Help Housing

With gratitude I am counting the many blessings 2022 has brought to our organization.

Along with the continued production of affordable housing, which your encouragement, inspiration, guidance and financial resources have made possible, this year we are celebrating ‘20 Years of Supportive Services’.

Since its humble beginnings around a picnic table, and growing to ten sited-based learning centers, our education program ‘Camino Scholars’ has bolstered the efforts of thousands of our youth. Resulting in academic graduations, previously unattainable career paths, and scores of personal success stories. Families have been strengthened, neighborhoods benefitted, and entire communities economically enriched. And because of two decades of having licensed social workers on staff, seniors, veterans, the formerly homeless, and those living with disabilities, have found security, dignity, and independence.

Our supportive services come in many guises; compassionate property management, dedicated maintenance teams, career counselors, fundraisers, financial specialists, information technicians, designers and construction crews, all working together to ensure that our residents have assistance when they need it, and have a place to call home.

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announces land donation by the City of Thousand Oaks for development of affordable, for-sale housing

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announces a 3.87 acre land donation by the City of Thousand Oaks to its supporting non-profit, the Housing Land Trust Ventura County. Approved at the City’s November 1, 2022 City Council meeting, the donated land located at 384 N. Erbes Road will be developed by People’s Self-Help Housing into nearly 80 affordable for-sale townhomes. People’s Self-Help Housing, as the lead agency, is working with collaborative partners Housing Trust Fund Ventura County/Housing Land Trust Ventura County, Ventura County Community Development Corp, McCarthy Companies, and DiCecco Architecture to bring this development to fruition.

October News from People’s Self-Help Housing

This month we have been reflecting on how we are doing.

A leadership retreat, and the publication of our annual Impact Report, provided us the opportunity to share the many positive outcomes and significant impacts achieved because of your partnership.  

The theme of this years report is ‘Twenty Years of Services’. The production of new housing, or the renovation of existing units, are outcomes we can clearly track. Harder to measure, but equally important, are the changed lives which happen when essential supportive services are partnered with those new homes. 

September News from People’s Self-Help Housing

In honor of National Latinx Heritage Month, we celebrate the innumerable contributions of the heritages and cultures that daily enrich our communities. 

At People’s, the majority of our staff and residents identify as Latinx.  We are committed to growing in a direction that align with the needs voiced by those we serve, whose lived experience has been shaped by Latinx heritage, and to especially address past disparities and present day inequities.

To further strengthen our Latinx communities, we ask you to continue to support our mission.  Your investments and partnership meaningfully impact lives each day.  May all go well for you and yours, as we enter the Fall Season together!

August News from People’s Self-Help Housing

We hit another milestone this month…52 years of serving our communities! It all started for us, with a small group of concerned citizens and community leaders, wanting to address the lack of housing available to low-income and special-needs households.

And keeping to the same spirit of our origins, we remain today a community-based affordable housing developer and site-based services provider. Our formula for success continues to be connecting stakeholder input with local leadership direction, to formulate custom responses to address community need.

Since inception we have seen many cycles of economic challenge, changes of social issues of focus, and shifting political winds and priorities. Just like what we see around us today, these periods have included recessions, high interest rates, national inflation, and global conflicts. We weathered those conditions before, and will continue to do so as we are a dynamic team of highly talented and dedicated people, in positive relationship with local governance, supported by steadfast and resilient stakeholders.

Bilingual report — People’s Self Help Housing — Applications Available on Aug. 1 for Broad Street Place – El próximo lunes: Solicitudes disponibles para Broad Street Place

Broad Street Place is a new affordable housing community coming to the City of San Luis Obispo, which will serve low-income households.

With completion anticipated in early 2023, this property will include three commercial spaces for local businesses and 40 residential apartments with studio, one, two and three-bedroom floorplans offered. A number of units will provide ADA-certified accessibility for those with mobility, hearing, and vision limitations and 10 units will provide housing for unhoused veterans. Amenities include a community room, shared kitchen, barbeque space, outdoor patios, playground, covered bike parking, electric vehicle charging stations, and laundry facilities.

PSHH will provide compassionate onsite property management and free supportive housing services to all who call Broad Street Place home.

People’s Self-Help Housing — We are Building Together!

Dear Friends & Neighbors, 

I know first-hand how hard it is to find safe and affordable housing. As a young teenager, I saw the difficulties my mother had in finding a home for our family as she struggled not only to secure a place she could afford, but where it was safe for a single woman to raise three daughters.

Now as the Board Chair for the longest-serving affordable housing organization on the Central Coast, I get to personally hear about and observe the positive impact People’s Self-Help Housing is having on thousands of lives in our community. Each housing development it completes is its own little miracle. When residents move in, their lives begin to immediately change just by having the security of a safe and affordable home.

June News from People’s Self-Help Housing

June marks the end of our fiscal year, and I can’t thank you enough for the tremendous year of investment you made in our communities, our services, and those we serve.

The past few weeks saw us celebrating our Camino Scholars at College Signing Days. Graduating from high school and bound for college, many of these students are the first in their families to have that opportunity. Please know that your support funds generational hopes and dreams for so many. Likewise, your investments into our Supportive Housing Program this year translated into thousands of hours of help for our residents leading to so many positive financial, physical and mental health outcomes.

People’s Self Help Housing — Celebrating NeighborWorks Week 2022

Join us in celebrating NeighborWorks Week! During this time, NeighborWorks organizations around the country celebrate the successes of their local communities and see how we can work together build stronger neighborhoods. By empowering people to achieve their goals – such as make their community safer, find and maintain secure housing, and ensure financial stability – leads to thriving, healthier communities.
 
With the support of NeighborWorks America, People’s Self-Help Housing has helped empower communities throughout the Central Coast by: 
Bringing the stability and wealth-building opportunities of homeownership to 1,200+ households
Serving 5,000+ residents with compassionate property management and supportive services
Providing 200+ dedicated team members with reliable, respecful employment

People’s Self-Help Housing — Camino Scholars Spring Silent Auction: Bidding Open Now!

Help our students blossom by participating in our virtual silent auction! Bidding will be open from today, May 16 at 12PM through Sunday, May 22 at 5PM, where you can choose from an exciting selection of local goods, services and experiences. All proceeds will support Camino Scholars, the education program of People’s Self-Help Housing.

April News from People’s Self-Help Housing

April may have been a “taxing” month for all of us, but the bright side of that is realizing the investment of those resources can produce good things, that are most important and critical to meeting our communities’ common concerns and needs. Such is the case for the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. It’s a tried and true system that, although not perfect nor simple, has continuously produced high quality permanently affordable housing to lower-income earning households all across the nation, including here on the Central Coast. Originating from the 1986 Reagan Tax Reform Act, it has had substantive bipartisan support since then, through numerous pendulum power swinging election cycles and shifts. Success has in part been attributed to the public-private partnership nature of the program, that provides affordable housing financing. It starts with a tax credit allocation made available to each state each year, based on their population at a per capita rate. For 2022 that rate is set at an allocation of $2.35 per person.  

People’s Self-Help Housing — This Thursday: Applications Available for Templeton Place II – Este jueves: ¡Solicitudes disponibles para Templeton Place II!

Applications available Thursday, March 31

Aplicaciones disponsibles jueves el 31 de Marzo

1009 Peterson Ranch, Templeton (9-5PM)

March News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Phase 1 of a rehabilitation at our Isla Vista Apartments is complete! Construction consisted of accessibility upgrades, seismic retrofitting, and full replacement of the plumbing, roof, and interior finishes. We are excited to welcome the first group of residents back to their newly renovated homes! 

February News from People’s Self-Help Housing

From the broken ‘forty acres and a mule’ promise to the tragedies of the subprime crisis, Black Americans have found themselves both the unintended and fully intended victims of over one hundred years of racially motivated ordinances, practices and policies.
 
As a nation we have much to mourn as we have systematically prevented, and inhibited communities of color from fully participating in the American Dream. During this Black History Month, I invite you to re-exam for yourself how discriminatory lending, nefarious use of eminent domain, and the displacement of communities of color, have prevented the wealth building opportunities routinely afforded the white middle and upper classes.

Through May 22 — People’s Self Help Housing’ s Camino Scholars Virtual Silent Auction

Help our students blossom by participating in our virtual silent auction! Bidding will be open now through Sunday, May 22 at 5 PM, where you can choose from an exciting selection of local goods, services and experiences. All proceeds will support Camino Scholars, the education program of People’s Self-Help Housing. Don’t miss out!

Aug. 20 — People’s Self Help Housing — Let the Games Begin

Join People’s Self-Help Housing for The Builder Games! Cheer on teams building playhouses for children, as they race against the clock and face fun challenges. Enjoy gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer, and live music! Funds raised benefit the programs of PSHH.

Join us to see who becomes the first to carry home the title, Builder Games Champion!

People’s Self-Help Housing — Got 5 mins? Build a Home for the Holidays!

Each year, our tradition has been to brighten the season with a heartfelt craft for you and your loved ones to make together.

This year’s card represents some of the 5,000+ people who call People’s Self-Help Housing home.

Please enjoy, and thank you for all your support!

December News from People’s Self-Help Housing

As I reflect over the course we’ve navigated through 2021 together, this has been a year of tremendous progress.  Thank you for your gracious and resilient support, we are more grateful than ever to have been so deeply engaged with you. The mission of providing new affordable homes, preserving others, and increasing services to those in most need continues to be a heavy lift, but one made possible because of your partnership.

People’s Self Help Housing — Got 5 mins? Build a Home for the Holidays!

Each year, our tradition has been to brighten the season with a heartfelt craft for you and your loved ones to make together.

This year’s card represents some of the 5,000+ people who call People’s Self-Help Housing home.

Please enjoy, and thank you for all your support!

People’s Self Help Housing — Got 5 mins? Build a Home for the Holidays!

Each year, our tradition has been to brighten the season with a heartfelt craft for you and your loved ones to make together.

This year’s craft represents some of the 5,000+ people who call People’s Self-Help Housing home.

Please enjoy, and thank you for all your support!

November News from People’s Self-Help Housing

We are truly thankful this season for your partnership with us.

Your support has sustained so many this year who have continued to experience adversity. For each of our 5,000 residents, you have helped them encourage each another, raise healthy families, and have covered them with your care and concern. We give thanks that so many of you are regular, monthly, and annual supporters of our programs and services. To those who came alongside our mission and gave for the first time this year, I am so grateful for you.

Every one of you have helped foster new opportunities, improve lives, and have helped thousands of households thrive. Through support of our 11 learning centers, you have ensured that our youth have bright futures, for our older residents have made supportive services available to everyone. And for those patiently waiting on our housing lists for a place to call their own, you’ve opened up our pipeline so that another 1,000 homes are on the way!

October News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Fall is here, and the change in season is evident all around. Leaves are falling, cooler breezes are swirling, daylight is shortening, all signs that change is in the air. Our address has changed too, with the opening of our new corporate office in San Luis Obispo. Keep that contact page for us open though, soon we’ll have another change of address, our new corporate office in Ventura County! Other changes this month see the start of construction of new apartments in Pismo Beach, and first-time home owners completing construction on their self-help houses in King City.