Shaping Places,
Shaping
Lives Building a community takes more than buildings — it takes an understanding of housing development and people development. Mutual Housing California gets that. Learn how INSIDE.
A Special Advertising Supplement
Community
Starts with Housing A Place to Call Home I am pleased to share the vision and accomplishments of Mutual Housing California, our region’s homegrown affordable housing and community developer. In 1988, Mutual Housing was established as a partnership of residents, businesses, housing advocates and local government officials committed to improving housing opportunities for lowerincome families, stabilizing neighborhoods and developing community leaders. We are proud of this legacy, but more importantly, we are looking to the future. How can we build on these accomplishments to create even more safe, stable and affordable rental communities? The challenges and obstacles remain significant, but we are at a unique point in time: Voters have approved billions in funding to end homelessness and build affordable housing, and the Legislature and new governor have demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to addressing these issues. Mutual Housing California is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this moment and capitalize on the significant new public investments. We welcome your support and partnership as we work toward a future where everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Cathy Creswell Mutual Housing California Board Chair
For 30 years, Mutual Housing has been building communities that give people the tools for a better life b y Th e a M a r i e R o o d
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ffordable housing is a hot topic right now — especially in help residents move into leadership roles to advocate on behalf of themselves, their families and the larger community. Mutual Sacramento, where rents rose faster last year than in any Housing also identifies local partners to come on-site to provide other major U.S. city, a whopping 8.2 percent. services, which often include youth summer meals, financial But this is not a new issue for Mutual Housing California, workshops and training in technology. a nonprofit developer that has built or rehabilitated 20 vibrant “We know residents best understand and are the primary communities that now consist of 1,081 safe and affordable visionaries for their community,” Stiles said. “And for people who multifamily homes where 3,400 low-income people from a variety haven’t been given that opportunity before, it’s huge.” of backgrounds live. In fact, Mutual Housing’s attention to people who would “A lot of people are commuting long distances because they otherwise be overlooked or ignored has can’t afford to live where they work — brought them a limelight of their own. and that increases greenhouse gases, Mutual Housing at Spring Lake, which and decreases the amount of time “We know residents provides housing for agricultural workers in parents can spend with their children,” best understand Woodland, is the first zero-net energy rental said Holly Wunder Stiles, Director housing development in the nation. Several of Housing Development for Mutual and are the primary other counties have now reached out to Housing. “Mutual Housing is committed visionaries for their Mutual Housing for information about to provide housing for renters who can’t community.” developing similar homes. Mutual Housing pay market rates.” is also being asked to develop housing Mutual Housing’s mission also Holly Wunder Stiles for homeless people in other parts of the goes further than simply building more Director of Housing Development, state — modeled on Mutual Housing at the apartments. “We’re not just focused Mutual Housing California Highlands, which incorporates programs on housing production,” Stiles said. for residents such as art and journaling that “Ultimately we’re doing that within a support people’s efforts to address issues in their own lives. framework that is all about healthy communities. For example, This expansion only underlines the fact affordable housing is the quality of our homes, the sustainability, reduces the carbon footprint, but it also makes the housing itself a healthy environment good for everyone. “A community should encompass people who live there, work for residents.” there, grew up in that place,” Stiles said. “How can you have a Mutual Housing has an approach that makes it unique — even community if it’s not embracing all aspects, if some people are from other nonprofit developers — because it doesn’t disappear perennially left out?” when the construction equipment does. Instead, it continues to steward the physical property, manage day-to-day operations and
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Mutual Housing at Spring Lake provides affordable housing options for agricultural workers in the Woodland area, including Maribel Diaz, who lives there with her husband, Hector, and their two sons. Photo by Anne Stokes
Homes
Where People Live Mutual Housing provides affordable, sustainable and quality housing for agricultural workers in Woodland by Anne Stokes
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efore moving into an apartment at Mutual Housing at Spring Lake, Maribel Diaz and her husband lived in a mobile home along with her mother and two young sons. Affordable housing was hard to come by on her farm laborer wages, a common issue in Woodland. The city’s economy is built on agriculture — not many jobs are high paying and many are seasonal. “A lot of our workforce are people of modest means, and they need places to live,” said Tom Stallard, Woodland city councilmember. “A lot of people are under-housed or not housed at all.” To help meet the city’s affordable housing needs, Mutual Housing California developed Mutual Housing at Spring Lake in 2015. The residential community has 62 apartments and townhomes dedicated to agricultural workers and their families. In addition to affordable rent, the community provides myriad supports and services that enable residents to thrive. Broadband services are available to everyone, as is a computer lab. Residents enjoy shared spaces like playgrounds, gardens and a community room for events. Programs such as financial literacy classes, ESL, college planning and leadership
development give residents the tools to improve their lives, as well as the lives of their families. Mutual Housing at Spring Lake was certified by the U.S. Department of Energy as a 100 percent zero-net energy rental housing development, later established as the first of its kind
“I have my own place, I have my own space, my kids have their own rooms. They have somewhere to play.” Maribel Diaz Mutual Housing California resident
in the nation. With energy-efficient systems and appliances, LED lighting, and water efficient plumbing, together with solar panels that generate electricity, residents enjoy reduced utility bills that can help their paychecks stretch farther.
According to Stallard, such programs and supports are the main difference between Mutual Housing and other housing communities. “We have a great deal of Section 8 housing … in our community, but there’s no program development,” he said. “These are privately owned accommodations that just don’t have the amenities that Mutual Housing at Spring Lake does.” In addition to creating affordable, sustainable and quality communities for residents, Stallard said Mutual Housing was adept at working with the city to meet their regulations and requirements. “From the city’s perspective, it was a pleasure to work with them,” he said. “I knew they were interested in building up lives. Their residents are not just the workers, but the families, their children.” Since moving into Mutual Housing at Spring Lake, Diaz said her family’s life has improved because housing is no longer a source of stress and uncertainty. “I have my own place, I have my own space, my kids have their own rooms. They have somewhere to play — before they didn’t have anywhere to play,” she said. “It’s peaceful, everybody gets along.”
Spotlight Communities Mutual Housing at the Highlands
This North Highlands mixed-income community includes general housing for families and permanent supportive housing for people coming out of homelessness. Families can choose between bright, attractive studios or three-bedroom townhomes. Multifaceted partnerships provide on-site supportive services that are available for people who want to change their lives.
Lavender Courtyard by Mutual Housing
Currently in the planning stages for Midtown Sacramento at F and 16th streets, this new apartment community will be a four-story, 53-home, safe and inclusive residence that is welcoming to LGBTQ seniors. This will be the first of its kind in the California Central Valley.
Mutual Housing at Sky Park
Located in South Sacramento, this culturally diverse, family-friendly community offers one- to four-bedroom apartments and townhomes, where residents can enjoy a children’s playground and a large community room. The buildings here were also part of Mutual Housing’s green renovation in 2014, which added many environmentally friendly features.
A Special Advertising Supplement | Mutual Housing California | www.mutualhousing.com | 3
What We Do by Anne Stokes
Mutual Housing California builds communities in five steps
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Identify potential sites
• Find potential sites through relationships with local governments, brokers and neighborhood groups • Ensure sites have access to amenities such as public transportation, grocery stores and schools • Determine the community’s socioeconomic demographics and housing needs
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Secure financing • Mutual Housing, like many affordable housing developers, uses a combination of public and private funding sources • Bank loans are supported by the estimated cash flow (total rent revenue less operating costs) • State and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) incentivize investors to provide private capital • Soft funding from government housing programs provide low- or no-interest loans
Design and build communities
• Generate community support for development proposals being considered by local planning agencies and commissions • Construction typically takes 12 to 15 months, depending on the size and complexity • Mutual Housing hires experienced and cost-conscious architects and general contractors • High-quality buildings utilize sustainably sourced materials and energy- and water-efficient systems and appliances to reduce the impact on the environment, decrease utility bills and ensure healthy indoor air quality • Communities include indoor and outdoor features that encourage relationship building such as barbecues, playgrounds, porches, computer labs and community rooms with kitchens
Develop leaders
• Resident Councils at each housing community meet monthly to address issues residents face in their communities, build community and develop leadership skills • Resident Impact Committee includes leaders from all 20 communities to form a bridge where information and concerns can move between the communities and the
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Board of Directors. Participants receive training, share stories and information, and work together for the common good of the more than 3,400 people living in Mutual Housing California Communities • Youth and adult program opportunities like afterschool homework help and arts and science exposure, summer lunch and
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Manage properties • Mutual Housing advertises available units through organizations that provide services for families and individuals who may need housing • Credit checks take into account low credit scores when due to extenuating circumstances • Rent increases are regulated by the agencies that provide tax credits and soft funding
enrichment activities, and financial and digital literacy programs provide residents with tools and inspiration • Community events like holiday celebrations, cross-cultural exchanges, exercise and hobby groups foster relationships between residents and build a sense of community and belonging
New Harmony Mutual Housing Community offers 69 affordable apartments in Davis, a city with less than one percent vacancy rate. Photo courtesy of Frank Domin Photography
Experts at
Development Mutual Housing California has 30 years of experience working with government, investors and architects to create vibrant communities by Anne Stokes
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n its own, the corner lot at Cowell Boulevard and Securing funding Chiles Road was tricky to develop. It was small — Affordable housing funding can be complicated. Money less than an acre — but Mutual Housing California comes from multiple funding sources — banks, government saw its potential and purchased it. agencies, other lenders and investors — with their own terms The site, later transformed into New Harmony Mutual and requirements. Mutual Housing works with a variety of Housing Community, was located next to property dedicated organizations to fund projects, including Merritt Community to affordable housing under the City of Davis inclusionary Capital Corporation. housing ordinance. By combining the small lot, the land “Both Mutual Housing and Merritt strive to provide dedication and an existing affordable housing community sustainable housing to meet the needs of the community abutting the site, Mutual Housing by developing affordable housing and the city were able to create a throughout California,” said Suzanne larger community linking resident Vice, Development Asset Manager programs and services between both “They take into with Merritt Community Capital developments. Like other communities Corporation. “Mutual’s leadership is account and throughout California, Davis is in well-seasoned in the development of appreciate the need of affordable housing: The past affordable housing.” several years, the national vacancy rate perspectives of Resident and has hovered between 5 and 7 percent. everybody at the table California averages 3 to 4 percent. In community needs Davis, it’s less than 1 percent. and really work as a Meeting everyone’s needs can be
quite a challenge, especially when team.” Local and developing affordable housing. But Danielle Foster state regulations the end result is worth it, not just for Former Davis Housing and According to Danielle Foster, the city’s individuals and families, but for the Human Services Superintendent former Housing and Human Services entire community. According to Bob Superintendent, Mutual Housing’s Kuchman, architect and founder of collaborative skills were integral in Kuchman Architects, who has worked bringing together the varied elements with Mutual Housing for the past needed to create affordable housing. 10 years, communities are designed to encourage interaction “They take into account and appreciate the perspectives of through meeting spaces, playgrounds and other amenities. everybody at the table and really work as a team,” Foster said. “The way communities are laid out, they’re designed to “They know what residents want and they’re willing to listen to encourage community interaction through site planning and what cities, states and other lenders want.” the layout of the buildings,” Kuchman said. “It’s amazing how much of a sense of ownership and pride people take in the places they live in. I really feel it transforms their lives and Mutual Housing is all about that.”
Building Green Mutual Housing is leading the way in implementing energy-efficient systems in all of their communities: In 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy certified Mutual Housing at Spring Lake a 100 percent zero net energy rental housing development, the first of its kind in the nation.
Awards
• World Habitat Award • U.S. Department of Energy Housing Innovation Award • U.S. Green Building Council Green Building Award • Sacramento Housing Alliance Housing Innovation Award • Green California Summit’s Green Leadership Award
Sustainable elements
• LEED-accredited consultants • High-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems • Low-flow plumbing • LED lighting • Low-VOC paint products • Solar panels that generate electricity • Water-efficient landscaping and smart irrigation systems • Advanced fresh air ventilation • Contractors recycle at least 50 percent of construction waste • Energy-efficient appliances • Highly rated insulation and windows
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Molly Chiah credits the leadership opportunities she had as a teen resident at a Mutual Housing community in Sacramento with her personal growth. Photo by Anne Stokes
Success Story
Former resident looks back on how Mutual Housing empowers residents to participate in their communities by Nisa Smith
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With grant funding, they implemented an extensive crossn the pursuit of better opportunities, Molly Chiah’s parents community basketball tournament, which caught the attention relocated their family from Chico to Sacramento in 2003. of City Hall. In 2004, Chiah was presented with the Gifts to A recent high school graduate at the time, Chiah was Share award from former Sacramento mayor Heather Fargo. keenly aware of the employment and education barriers her While the internship helped her grow as a person, Chiah family had faced. The 17-year-old was fearful of what awaited said opportunities like this await all who live in Mutual Housing her in this new city. communities. She said, “I have seen how Mutual Housing However, she was presented with a life-altering opportunity offers different ways for residents to become leaders, to find when she accompanied her parents, to help with translation, themselves, to find their own voice.” as they turned in their application to reside in the Victory She continued, “It’s amazing because in life, low-income Townhomes Mutual Housing Community in North Sacramento. households don’t usually have those On that day, the community opportunities.” organizer on site offered Chiah Today, the 32-year-old pharmacist an internship to promote youth “Mutual Housing finds constant overlap in her medical community involvement. Chiah didn’t offers different career and her experience — she feels fully realize what was happening. ways for residents to she wouldn’t have been as successful “I didn’t know what she was without Mutual Housing. talking about,” Chiah said. “I was become leaders, to find “At Mutual Housing, you’re like, ‘Yeah, sure; I want to work.’” themselves, to find their always trying to identify something It wasn’t long before Chiah relatable in a resident, find became a young leader within her own voice.” what motivates them to propel community, exemplifying Mutual Molly Chiah themselves,” she said. “You do that in Housing California’s dedication to Former Victory Townhomes resident and health care, too.” nurturing the potential of people current Mutual Housing California Although she has not lived in a living in its communities. board member Mutual Housing community since Chiah recalled her group’s 2005, when she left home to become grassroots approach: “We’d have a first-generation college graduate, Chiah remains connected. bimonthly meetings. During these meetings it was the young Currently, she contributes as a board member to ensure the people who’d say we want this or we want that.” organization maintains the sincere support that helped launch Chiah and her teenage peers worked to balance the needs and wants of youth in the community with a variety of programs her life. “I always say to the residents — take advantage of every including homework club, baking lessons and the creation of a opportunity to participate in this organization,” she said. library. Chiah’s group financed these opportunities with funds raised on their own through carwashes, recycling and various fundraisers.
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River Garden Report Card Mutual Housing at River Garden in South Natomas works in partnership with an on-site nonprofit called The GreenHouse, which provides tutoring and mentoring to the neighborhood’s underserved kids. Together, they create a network of support that has resulted in positive outcomes: School performance — “Poor grades and high suspension, truancy and drop-out rates are serious issues in our community,” said Rena Crocker, CEO of The GreenHouse. But 75 percent of GreenHouse students, most of whom live at Mutual Housing at River Garden, will finish high school and go on to college. “In a neighborhood where only 30 percent of adults have a college education, this is transformative.” Self-efficacy — Sacramento State’s Child Development Department found statistically significant improvements in a sense of selfefficacy (competence and the ability to make changes in one’s own life) among youth in GreenHouse programs, Crocker said. Better psychological well-being for everyone — Sac State’s analysis of parent evaluations shows children’s participation in GreenHouse programs leads to measurably better psychological well-being for students and their parents. “Researchers believe that the web of long-standing relationships present in the community here strengthens entire families,” said Crocker.
A Place to Belong Resident member finds community and a chance to grow at Mutual Housing by Anne Stokes
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our years ago, Jennifer Higley-Chapman was newly separated and in need of a place to live. The single mother of two worked full-time as a special education paraeducator but couldn’t afford housing in Davis, where her sons had lived and gone to school their whole lives. When she reached out to the Moore Village Mutual Housing Community, she wasn’t sure what to expect. “Trying to get help can sometimes be humiliating if the person you’re asking for help from seems judgmental. I didn’t have that experience at all,” she said. “I felt the manager really cared about me as a person and wanted to know what my situation was — not just help me fill out papers — because she wanted to help.” At Moore Village, Higley-Chapman and her sons found more than a place to live — they found a home where they feel accepted as part of a community. “We were all very isolated before we moved,” she said. “Here, we all know each other, and our kids know each other, and we’re all able to watch out for each other’s families. That gives me, and I think the kids, a really strong sense of community in this neighborhood. We feel really safe.”
Community support
Higley-Chapman said she and her sons have also benefited from Mutual Housing’s resident services and programs, including access to the community’s computer lab, and financial and digital literacy workshops.
Mutual Housing connected her eldest son with a paid internship with GRID Alternatives and her younger son served as a youth representative at NeighborWorks America’s annual Community Leadership Institute, where he helped create a program to connect youth and local volunteer opportunities.
“My voice is heard and my experience has value to this organization.” Jennifer Higley-Chapman Mutual Housing California resident and board member
Growing as a leader
Moore Village has also allowed Higley-Chapman to develop her own leadership skills. She started organizing events and facilitating meetings, which led to her involvement with the Moore Village Resident Council, and later with the Mutual Housing Resident Board Committee. Today, she’s a member of Mutual Housing’s Board of Directors, which oversees the nonprofit’s budget, determines the organization’s short- and long-term goals, and supports community advocacy work in particular affordable housing issues.
Jennifer Higley-Chapman and her sons found a welcoming community at Moore Village, one that provides supportive programs and opportunities to develop into community leaders.
Photo by Anne Stokes
“It’s actually improved my self-esteem and the way I see myself as a leader and an important member of the community,” she said. “My voice is heard and my experience has value to this organization.”
Encouraging People through … Youth and adult education • The Culture of College initiative includes educational enrichment for preschool through high school students with after-school homework help, summer literacy programs and help with college and financial aid applications. • The Digital Literacy Program teaches software programs, internet usage and helps residents build technology skills through in-person classes and access to an online learning portal. Participants also receive personal Chromebooks or refurbished laptops.
Financial literacy • Lending Circles help residents establish a positive credit history, set and achieve financial goals, and develop good financial habits. • California’s Maximizing Your Credit Report Program helps build credit and increase credit scores by reporting on-time rent payments to credit bureaus and educating residents on how to work with creditors and manage their credit profiles.
Leadership development • Residents United Network is a statewide organization that gives Mutual Housing residents the opportunity to engage in the decisions that affect the health and stability of their lives and communities through advocacy work at the state and local levels. Mutual Housing residents have stepped into leadership roles in this network. • Mutual Housing’s Board of Directors is required to have more than 50 percent representation from current or former residents. Resident board members develop their leadership skills through active participation in all aspects of governance on the board.
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Find housing in one of 20 communities located throughout Sacramento and Yolo counties. See descriptions and a map of properties, get rental qualifications and download a rental application online.
Mutual Housing California has an array of partners who provide after-school tutoring, offer health and nutrition workshops, or teach residents how to grow a community garden.
Everyone should have a place to call home. Your donation will help build more communities that give people a sense of belonging and dignity.
“At Mutual Housing, they’re problem-solvers, they’re pragmatic, they’re focused on understanding the issues and moving forward. They build houses, but what they’re really building are communities. They know that when someone has a safe place they can come home to, they can study, they can work, they can raise their children safely and in peace and quiet.” Don Saylor Yolo County Supervisor, District 2
“Our team has always been impressed with the extent to which not just the resident’s home and housing needs are considered, but the extent to which their community ecosystem is considered. Mutual Housing puts ‘community’ at the core of its interventions; they don’t just place people, they place them in the context of others with profound effect.”
Jonathan Porteus, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer, WellSpace Health
www.mutualhousing.com
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“I really believe that people closest to the pain have the best solutions to the problem. I think Mutual Housing really lives up to that in terms of empowering everyday people — working people — to not just engage, but to own the larger issues impacting their community.”
Gabby Trejo Executive director, Sacramento Area Congregations Together