We're Building More Housing and Providing More Resident Services
Dear FCH Family, 
 
We want to thank you so much for supporting First Community Housing over the past 34 years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to gather together to celebrate the past year’s successes, catch up on personal celebrations, or simply say “hello,” but we do want to stay connected. 
 
Despite the many challenges of 2020, the FCH team has maintained a remarkable level of results with NINE buildings under development! We are currently working on: 
 
  • Troy Apartments rehab and Curtner Studios rehab + new construction. 
  • Orchard Gardens will build 93 additional units to replace 32 units in the old building. 
  • The McEvoy and DuPont project predevelopment loan close – part of an historic $29M from Google and in partnership with the Housing Trust of Silicon Valley. 
  • Nearing construction completion on Iamesi Village and Leigh Avenue Senior Apartments. 
  • The Roosevelt project is in plan check and the Magnolias is at 100% Schematic Design. 
  • The Villages at Roosevelt project is entering the entitlements stage of development. 
 
Additionally, Second Street Studios appeared as a case study in “Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing,” a book published this summer. Second Street also received a LEED Platinum certification, won a Multifamily Executive magazine MFE Award in the Affordable category, and an American Institute of Architects Silicon Valley Design Award this year. 
 
As an organization that is resident-centric in everything that we do, food security and internet access have become key issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve stepped up our efforts to provide free, healthy food to those residents who need it by partnering with Fresh Approach at several of our properties and their Mobile Farmer's Market stops at two additional properties. Loaves and Fishes is now providing food to one of our senior complexes, and of course, our ongoing programs with Valley Verde who assist us in planting and maintaining healthy fruits and vegetables at several properties. 
 
As more of our households are required to be online for work and participate in distance learning, we wanted to ensure residents have the bandwidth required to do so seamlessly from their home. We have upgraded our free communal Wi-Fi internet services and equipment at 17 of our properties and continue to provide digital literacy classes at 7 sites. Those who attend the classes receive a free laptop or iPad as do many of our younger residents so that they are able to complete their schoolwork.  
 
If you would like to help support our efforts in providing free healthy food to FCH residents and help to bridge the digital divide, you can do so by donating online here: firstcommunityhousing.org/donate. All funds will go toward ensuring FCH residents receive the help they need and will have long-lasting impact on our community. 
 
We miss you all and hope that we can join together in person again in 2021. And thank you for considering a donation to our resident services programs today. Even a small donation will go a long way to help low-income earners, seniors, and people with disabilities maintain a place hold in our community. 
 
Take care and be well,

Geoffrey Morgan & the FCH Team


Roosevelt Update
365 units of multifamily housing
First Community Housing plans to build 80 units of multifamily housing with a mix of studios, 1-BR, 2-BR, and 3-BR units. Twenty (20) of the units will be set aside as permanent supportive housing and 20 units will be designated as rapid rehousing units. The remaining units will be offered to individuals and families earning up to 50% of area median income. Our target population will be young adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, homeless families, large families (5+).
We're Upgrading
Digital Access for Residents
As noted above, FCH is a resident-centric organization in all that we do. We truly care about our residents health and are focused on doing what’s right and what will help alleviate stressors that often impact low-income communities the hardest; especially now. Thankfully Internet Access is not a barrier for our residents. FCH is currently upgrading our free communal Wi-Fi internet services and equipment at 17 of our properties. As more households are required to be online for work and participate in distance learning, we want to ensure residents have the bandwidth, laptops, and devices required to do so seamlessly from the comfort of their home. 
Geoff Morgan Receives Leadership Award!

Geoff Morgan was among 10 companies, projects and individuals receiving a U.S. Green Building Council 2020 Leadership Award! The annual awards recognize exceptional work advancing sustainable, healthy, resilient and equitable buildings, cities and communities. USGBC honored this year’s recipients on November 12 during the Greenbuild Virtual conference.
Rate FCH on Great Nonprofits!

If you love our work then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community. GreatNonprofits – the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback – promotes highly regarded nonprofits. Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes! Go here to get started! greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/first-community-housing
Meet A Resident!
Meet resident, Doris, who has been living at Bay Avenue Senior Apartments for the past four years. Doris is currently in her mid-80s and has a limited income that allows her to qualify for affordable senior housing. Bay Avenue has enabled Doris, and seniors like her, to maintain her independence as she ages in place. Doris grew up in Hammond, Indiana and spent much of her life as a missionary, even living internationally in Thailand for a decade. She loves living in Capitola saying, “California people are friendly and smiling.” More specifically she loves living in the apartments, explaining, “I used to be a home health nurse, and I’ve been to a lot of complexes like this, so I can tell you quality and not quality… this is a great place, far and above most senior housing.”

Doris loves participating in the resident programs such as weekly coffee meetings, food bank programs, and painting toys for Toys for Tots. Of the resident service coordinator, Doris says, “I think Lisa Smith (RS coordinator) is invaluable in what she does in helping people.” As far as her favorite part about the resident programs, she said, “I like to see the changes in people and the camaraderie. I like to see them getting out of their apartments.” Furthermore, Doris is a star gardener at Bay Avenue stating, “I’ve had such fun working out there and being able to talk to other gardeners… it’s a restful sanctuary, gardening has always been that for me and I’m glad they gave us a space to do that, I love it!”
FCH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 77-0119210.
If you shop on Amazon, you can select FCH as your donor charity on AmazonSmile!