Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Celebrates New Complex

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) cut the ribbon Thursday at Casas de las Flores, its 45th affordable housing project. PSHH purchased the land in Carpinteria, originally home to a camper park, from an absentee landlord 12 years ago. PSHH successfully absorbed the 80 households into the Casas de las Flores project with the community’s help. Though planning and preparation took around a decade, the project broke ground at 4096 Via Real in April 2014. Because the development had more applicants than space available, PSHH held a lottery as part of its resident selection process earlier this year.

President and CEO John Fowler praised the 12-year-long development as a valuable journey for all participants. “So many people came together to find good housing for residents of the old camper park and secure funding for Casas de las Flores, and all along they knew how much it would help the low-income families and formerly homeless who will soon be calling it home.”

The 43-unit complex includes a community room, kitchen, clinic space, youth education and computer room, and offices. The surrounding area will also have a playground, a half basketball court, walking paths, and new laundry facilities. Other funding partners of the project include JP Morgan Chase, the National Equity Fund, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, and the City of Carpinteria.

Founded in 1970 in San Luis Obispo, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing is a nonprofit organization that focuses on building affordable housing and community facilities for low-income households. The organization also aims to enable working families, seniors, veterans, and the formerly homeless to achieve homeownership in the Central Coast. So far, PSHH has completed 1,200 homes and developed almost 1,600 rental units in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.