News from The Coachella Valley Housing Coalition:
The Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) is proud to announce that it has secured the necessary financing to begin construction on 149 multi-family affordable housing apartments for farmworkers in the rural and agricultural community of Mecca, California and in the city of Indio, California. The last layer of financing came with two separate awards of Low Income Housing Tax Credits in California’s highly competitive allocation program.
The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee awarded $16,850,710 in federal tax credits to build Villa Hermosa Apartments Phase II and a combined total of $29,077,360 in federal and state tax credits to build Paseo de los Heroes Apartments Phase III. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Section 514 Farm Labor Housing Program is providing financing as well as rental assistance for both projects. The Housing Authority of the County of Riverside is providing financing for Paseo de los Heroes III Apartments. The City of Indio, Indio Water Authority and Valley Sanitation District have waived all development impact fees, which will help make the construction of Villa Hermosa Apartments economically feasible and the Riverside County Economic Development Agency is providing financing for the development.
“There is a persistent lack of safe, affordable housing available to farmworkers who do not earn enough to afford market-rate housing. As a result, homelessness, substandard and overcrowded housing conditions are epidemic in agricultural communities like Mecca,” said Julie Bornstein, Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition. “CVHC is excited about making these two much-needed rental complexes a reality.”
CVHC will begin construction of the second phase of Villa Hermosa Apartments in December, 2017 which is projected to be completed by February, 2019. Villa Hermosa is a 68-unit zero net energy consumption apartment community for low-income farmworkers in the city of Indio, California. The townhome style villas will be equipped with Energy Star appliances including an Energy Star rated roof. Special to Villa Hermosa are its Community Gardens, 1,000 square foot community room, resident services programming, and swimming pool— which allows residents to grow their own produce, engage in recreation and learn additional skills.
Construction for Paseo de los Heroes Apartments Phase III will also begin in December, 2017. Paseo de los Heroes Apartments III is an 81-unit, zero net energy consumption community. The project will feature a 2,852-square foot community building. Site amenities will include a community room, gym, playground, basketball court, walking track, and computer room. Unit amenities will include washers/dryers, and attached carports.
In addition, both housing communities will have access to CVHC’s Resident Services programming, such as afterschool program support, English as a Second Language instruction, an alternative high school diploma and GED program, computer technology instruction, financial education, and homeownership counseling to name a few. “CVHC recognizes that it is imperative to connect affordable housing with a modest but effective level of service coordination for residents, which gives them the opportunity to enrich and improve the quality of their lives,” said Joe Mota, Resident Services Manager at CVHC.
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