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Facts of Affordable Housing
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Keeping Families Together
 Marie Sands has seen many changes in her hometown of Poway; most significant is the price of housing. Yet because of a partnership between the City’s Redevelopment Agency and Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation, she can still live in the city she loves.
Marie’s home, Poinsettia Mobilehome Park on Poinsettia Drive, is near her work at Twin Peaks Middle School and close to many convenient community amenities, such as a neighborhood grocery store and a neighborhood park. An added bonus for Marie is the proximity to her family. “The best part of living in Poway is that my mom and sister live around the corner,” she says.
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Time for a New Chapter
 Lauralee Maudlin knew Wakeland’s Poinsettia Mobile Home Park was the right place for her the first time she walked in there.
Recently widowed, Lauralee needed to find an affordable home in a supportive, independent environment.
Since 2005, Lauralee has settled into this new part of her life. She’s learned to live on her own which she likens to “using a pair of scissors with only one part of the handle.”
Handling the bills and finances was new for her. But having utilities and trash included in one lump sum with her rent makes it all much easier to handle. And at $750 a month, she was in a position to begin recouping her finances after her husband’s sudden passing.
Lauralee has found comfort in the affordability of her residence, as well as in the park’s social network supported by Resident Services Programming. She’s developed friendships with other women at the monthly potlucks, and sleeps easier at night knowing the Neighborhood Watch program keeps an eye on residents living alone.
The design and care of the park, the quiet nights and safe streets of Poway, and an efficient staff all combine to create the perfect setting for the story told in this new chapter in Lauralee’s life.
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Walking to Work
 Joyce and Jayden Winge work hard to get by each month. Bills pile up, gas and food are increasingly expensive, and sometimes they’re not even sure they’re going to make it.
Then Joyce sees her daughter and sets her mind to make good things happen for all of them.
Working hard at her job is a given for this dedicated – and motivated – Poway native. Even so, economic hard times have hit everyone in north county – even the local engineering firm where she’s been employed as an administrative assistant.
“The only thing that lets Joyce keep her job and make ends meet every week is her apartment at Hillside Village,” says Sue Reynolds, CEO of Community HousingWorks (which owns Hillside Village). “That apartment means her family can live independently. They can keep their dignity and hold their heads up high. It even allows them to walk to work, helping to keep expenses down.”
Most importantly, Joyce get to continue living in the town she grew up in. “After all, her daughter should be able to enjoy a nice childhood too, shouldn’t she?” says Reynolds.
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First-Time Homebuyer
 Deborah and Sierra Gardenhire moved into Community HousingWorks’ Park View Terrace shortly after Mr. Gardenhire passed away.
It was a huge step up from their one-bedroom apartment for Deborah and Sierra. Deborah watched the situation anxiously as she worked two jobs to make ends meet, struggling with the loss of her husband.
“Here are two lives changed by the people at Park View Terrace,” says Sue Reynolds, CEO of Community HousingWorks (which owns Park View Terrace). “They taught Deborah how to cope. Our financial planning classes showed her how to save and handle money. And they taught her to take control of her own future.”
Today, Deborah provides a strong role model for her daughter. And she admits now that she never could have saved enough to afford her own home without the structure provided by the Community HousingWorks programs.
“We feel good knowing we’ve had a positive impact on them both,” says Reynolds.
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A HUGE Difference!
 Eddie Lopez is one fortunate guy, and he knows it. "SOLARA has been a blessing to my life," he happily reports.
Originally from Los Angeles, the 40 year-old divorced father of one moved into his apartment at SOLARA in Poway shortly after it opened in March, 2007. "Every one of these affordable housing complexes has a long waiting list," he observes, adding "we were lucky to get in."
The popular press likes to portray affordable housing residents as undesirable neighbors, but Mr. Lopez belies that theory at every turn. "I have a college degree and had a good job 10 years ago. My wife and I owned our home, and our future looked bright."
All that changed in 2000 – a year that saw him lose his job, his home and his wife. "That was a tough year," Lopez reports.
Eddie was unemployed or under-employed for the next 18 months. "You know, the newspapers keep reporting about all these jobs that have been created in the economy, but they're mostly low-paying jobs," he laments. "For the longest time, all I could get was $10 and $12 an hour jobs, and I couldn't find anything that paid like my old position."
"It was VERY frustrating! Unless you have a post-graduate degree, it's really tough to make a living these days."
So here was Eddie Lopez, father of two year-old Jeoffrey and unsure what his next step needed to be. "It was really challenging and hard for us. Then the real estate market started booming and rents became outrageous. It became difficult for my son and I just to survive from week to week."
But Eddie Lopez is not only smart, hard-working and talented, but he was also determined. Even as living became a matter of going month-to-month, paycheck to paycheck, and getting food rations to ensure he and Jeoffrey could eat at the end of each month, Eddie knew two things: He wouldn't let this tear his little family apart, and he would find a way to make life better.
And so the Lopez men limped along. Even when Eddie landed his job coordinating the maintenance at eight San Diego locations for A&M Properties, he still needed a little extra help.
Then SOLARA opened with a spot for him and Jeoffrey. And the world turned bright again for Eddie Lopez. "When I was living on the edge, I couldn't ever put any money away," he says now. "But SOLARA and Community Housing Works changed all that for me. They put me into a Financial Fitness class, and I've begun putting money into a separate bank account so I can buy my own place again one day."
"I'm thinking I can own my own house by early 2009," he says, his chest puffing with understandable pride. "All this because of the guidance and help I've been getting since moving to SOLARA. The classes in money, the credit reporting and making a budget, the ability to pay below-market rent so I have some money to put aside – I never could have done any of this without Community Housing Works."
And because of the tough times, and now the good ones, Eddie and Jeoffrey (now 11) have built and maintained an incredibly strong bond that should be able to withstand anything else life has to throw at them.
So does affordable housing really make a difference to those whom society is so quick to write off? Absolutely, according to Eddie Lopez, who says: "I'm really grateful there are companies and individuals who are willing to look beyond the bottom line to really try helping people get their life back on track. I'm sure I couldn't have done it without the help we got from Community Housing Works."
How nice it is to know we really made a difference in someone's life!
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“I GOT IT! I GOT IT!”
 There are some residents of affordable housing who just “get it” faster than others. That’s what happened with Crystal and Cesar Lucca of Park View Terrace.
Built by Sun Country and developed by Community HousingWorks, Park View Terrace won the 1999 Award of Honor from the California Redevelopment Agency. The complex just passed its 10th anniversary of providing upscale affordable housing to the Poway (CA) community it services.
As epitomized by the Lucca family, Community HousingWorks successful results at the property more than speak for themselves.
With their two children in tow and Crystal expecting her third, she and Cesar moved to Park View Terrace in September, 2007. Their previous home – a Rancho Bernardo-based affordable housing complex - did not provide the types of financial training programs offered by Community Housing Works-owned properties.
“When I met Crystal, her family was in debt and they didn't know anything about how to improve their financial situation.” reports property manager Jesse Stevenson. He took it upon himself to introduce her to Community HousingWorks' Family Asset Building Programs.
"Before taking Financial Fitness, I didn't even know what making a budget was, and I had no idea how to go about fixing my credit report." Crystal admits now.
Yet since learning how to improve her family’s financial fitness, Crystal has improved her credit score by over 100 points. She’s now working hard towards her future financial goals, and has made progress by:
- Keeping, maintaining and sticking to a fixed monthly budget
- Enrolling in an Individual Development Account to help her to buy a home
- Opening a college savings account for all three of her children
- Saving money for a rainy day
Crystal and Cesar are now making huge strides towards their goal of paying off all of their debts and their eventual objective: home ownership.
“Crystal has even been teaching some of our Family Asset Building classes at other CHW properties around San Diego,” reports Mr. Stevenson.
“I’ve taken a great deal of pride watching Crystal and her family improve their lives immensely over the past year. Stories like hers are one of the primary reasons that I enjoy working with the affordable housing community.”
We couldn’t agree more!
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