Walls raised on new Self-Help homeownership development in San Miguel

This development, named Mission Gardens II, is located in central San Miguel on an adjacent lot to the 39 homes built through the same self-help program in 2018. PSHH homeownership and construction team members work alongside the owner-builders to guide them throughout the process. Contributing 32+ hours of labor per week per household over a 12 to 16 month period, the group will be investing over 1,600 hours of work at the construction site under professional supervision. This effort, known as “sweat equity,” is used in lieu of a down payment. With the additional help of a USDA-subsidized mortgage making the homes even more affordable, this is a cost-effective on-ramp to homeownership.

Saturday’s celebration marked a major construction milestone for the project, bringing together owner-builders, PSHH staff, project partners, and community members to raise the first walls of the future neighborhood. During the ceremony, participants heard remarks from project leaders, learned more about the mutual self-help homeownership model, and joined the owner-builders in the symbolic wall raising, representing the progress made and the work still ahead as these families build their community together.

Saturday’s celebration marked a major construction milestone for the project, bringing together owner-builders, PSHH staff, project partners, and community members to raise the first walls of the future neighborhood. During the ceremony, participants heard remarks from project leaders, learned more about the mutual self-help homeownership model, and joined the owner-builders in the symbolic wall raising, representing the progress made and the work still ahead as these families build their community together.

“This program has been the sustained heartbeat of our organization since its founding in 1970,” said Veronica Garcia, Chief Real Estate Development Officer at PSHH. “We are thrilled to build a new neighborhood in San Luis Obispo County and to provide more opportunities for people to achieve the wealth-building benefits of homeownership and the stability that brings.”

Taking part in the build is Adriana Granados, who shared what the opportunity means to her: “We all know the critical need for affordable housing. People’s Self-Help Housing has turned a dream of becoming a homeowner into reality,” said Granados. “I am so excited to begin the construction of my own affordable residence. All homeowners help build each other’s homes, strengthen our community, build relationships with our future neighbors, and create a sense of belonging. It cannot get better than that. This is truly a dream come true for many of us, especially myself.”

Mission Gardens II is tentatively scheduled for completion by fall of 2027.

To learn more, visit pshhc.org/build-your-own-home

Founded in 1970, PSHH is the longest-serving nonprofit affordable housing organization on the Central Coast. With a mission of building homes and providing services to strengthen communities and change lives, PSHH serves low-income households, families, seniors, veterans, farmworkers, those living with disabilities and the formerly homeless. It also provides homeownership opportunities through a self-help “sweat equity” program that has seen over 1,200 homes successfully completed. PSHH has a presence in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Monterey counties, manages over 2,400 rental units, and employs over 250 team members. For more information about the organization, visit pshhc.org.

PSHH acknowledges the Indigenous Peoples and unceded territories that our organization now occupies. We recognize the YTT Northern Chumash, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash, Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians, Cruzeño Chumash, and Salinan elders, current and future generations as the protectors of these lands. To read the full land acknowledgement, visit pshhc.org/IDEA.

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Media Contact:  

• communications@pshhc.org (805) 548-2718