Peoples' Self-Help Housing

Peoples' Self-Help Housing

For Immediate Release

Press Contact:
Chris Davis
805-687-3322

***Draft Letter to Editor to Santa Barbara Independent***

"Best Gift this Holiday Season is Safe Affordable Housing"

Santa Barbara, CA, December, 2002—I was thrilled to learn about the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara's Downtown Worker Housing program at Casa de Las Fuentes. With an increasingly dire housing situation in Santa Barbara County and a slumping economy on the Central Coast, the critical need to creatively address affordable housing issues is greater than ever.

Peoples Self-Help Housing, which has provided affordable housing to low-moderate income families and individuals and those with special needs, for over 30 years has proven itself to be one of the more "creatively responsive" organizations in Santa Barbara County, in addressing the Affordable Housing crisis, as well as providing needed educational, health, and social services to residents. We have been a partner with the Housing Authority on many inventive projects, including the recent renovation of the Victoria Hotel, for low-income individuals.

2002 has been an extremely active year for Peoples Self-Help Housing-especially in Santa Barbara County-with the completion of Dahlia Court in Carpinteria, the Victoria Hotel in Downtown Santa Barbara, and other rental properties in Goleta, Isla Vista, and Santa Maria, and home ownership "sweat equity" programs in Guadalupe. Peoples' Self-Help Affordable housing was provided up and down the Central Coast this year including families moving into 141 new apartment units and 50 new home ownership houses.

As the population on the Central Coast continues to grow, the need to become innovative pioneers in an increasingly challenging housing environment intensifies. Currently there are over 1000 families on our apartment rental waiting list and 7000 active inquiries about our home ownership program.

Peoples' Self-Help Housing has widened its focus with a holistic "community" approach as it addresses housing issues, as the Casa de Las Fuentes project does, because we know that it takes more than just a roof over one's head to meet numerous social and economic hurdles of poverty. We also created youth learning programs including the "Whale Tale" program that informs kids about the importance of their local environment.

As an affordable housing non-profit organization and winner of the 2002 California Association of Nonprofits "Mission Impact Award", we take our mission to create more and better housing opportunities on the Central Coast for low income families, while addressing the issues of poverty, very seriously. Our work has also been validated through strong partnerships with Wells Fargo, which has made a $500,000, 0% interest loan commitment to PSHH and the Calvert Foundation which has guaranteed over $450,000 in low interest loans. Also, Peoples' Self-Help Housing was proud to be organization chosen to build the first affordable housing apartment complex in the new City of Goleta.

Peoples Self-Help Housing could not be successful without its many important non-profit and like-minded and caring partnerships over the years. With their help, and especially the generous financial help of the Santa Barbara community, we are able to concurrently address the housing issues and other social issues for low income families in Santa Barbara County.

Jeanette Duncan, Executive Director
Peoples' Self-Help Housing