Affordable Housing Community Opens in Coachella

COACHELLA (CNS) – A group of Coachella elected officials today
celebrated the opening of a $47.9 million affordable housing community.

Mayor Steven Hernandez, Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia and city council
members took part in the grand opening Pueblo Viejo Villas, a 105-unit
development with 10 units set aside for individuals with developmental
disabilities and their families.

"I cannot be more thankful, and proud, to see the city of Coachella
and its developmental partners come together to create communities that meet so
many needs like affordable housing and access to convenient public
transportation," Garcia, D-Coachella, said. "That is real progress."

The affordable housing community is located near City Hall and the
public library, as the focus of redevelopment activity in the area. The complex
includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

The units are expected to be fully occupied by June 1, according to
the Chelsea Investment Corp., which claims to have developed more than 12,000
units of affordable housing.

A nonprofit partner, Pacific Southwest Community Development
Corporation, will offer residents a minimum of 84 hours of free on-site adult
educational and skill-building classes each year. The classes will include
computer literacy, ESL and art classes, job counseling, financial literacy,
health and wellness workshops and a food distribution program.

Funding for the project was provided by:

— the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordability Housing and
Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, which included grants to the city
of Coachella, the Sunline Transit Agency and the Chelsea Investment
Corporation;

— the California Department of Housing and Community Developments
Infill Infrastructure Grant program;

— the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside’s project-based
vouchers and HOME programs; and

— the California Department of Developmental Services’ Community
Placement Plan program through the Inland Regional Center.

The area’s Pueblo Viejo Master Plan — which includes civic,
commercial, residential and mixed-use component redevelopment plans — is also
set to include a 108-unit apartment community also by Chelsea, which will
receive more than $4 million in funding from the Infill Infrastructure Grant
funds.

"We are experiencing more often that municipalities are not just
building to build capacity — they are building to fill a long-important need
of affordable housing centered around transportation hubs," said Jim Schmid,
founder and CEO of Chelsea Investment Corp. "The city of Coachella has been a
significant change in the valley, and we are proud to be the city’s partner."

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-05-09-2022 10:23