On April 12th, SHE proudly celebrated alongside eleven families from its Mutual Self-Help Housing program who have completed building their own homes in Reedley! They welcomed the families and hosted a key ceremony in celebration of this amazing accomplishment. Representatives from SHE’s long-time insurance partner, Farmers Insurance, and many SHE staff members were present.  

One of the participants, Ana Cortes, excitedly shared how she felt after receiving the keys to her new home and being able to move in: “It was a huge effort, but in the end, it is pure joy!" 

Amidst California's housing crisis, Self-Help Enterprises offers families one of the most crucial wealth-building tools: homeownership. Over the course of 10 months, the participating families worked together to help each other build their houses with skilled on-site supervision and guidance from SHE’s construction staff.  

“They are a great group of hardworking participants,” said Juanita Franco, the program's senior loan processor. "Reedley is a great community to work with.” 

There are currently two more groups of families working to build their homes in the same Reedley community for a total of 23 families. Construction for those homes is expected to be complete this summer. 

Learn more about the Mutual Self-Help Housing program

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) Statewide Support Entity (SSE), co-chaired by Self-Help Enterprises and the Environmental Defense Fund, as well as the California Department of Conservation (DOC), are excited to share the 2023 MLRP Annual Report, available in English and Spanish.  

The DOC launched MLRP activities in the summer of 2022 to find shared solutions to California's uncertain groundwater future. Since then, the program has seen significant progress. This new report focuses on MLRP goals and accomplishments, current progress, partner involvement, and engagement with MLRP stakeholders and communities.  

Here are some key takeaways from the report:  

• In its first round of funding, DOC awarded $10 million block grants to 4 applicants partnering and collaborating with 73 different organizations. 
• In the second round of funding, DOC awarded $8.89 million block grants to 4 applicants partnering and collaborating with over 36 different organizations, doubling the number of block grantees and extending the total reach of MLRP partner and collaborator support to over 100 organizations. 
• The Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians were awarded $1,753,000 for the planning and development of a groundwater recharge project. 
• Round 1 block grantees identified and conducted targeted outreach to regional stakeholders, including 13 disadvantaged communities in the Kaweah Subbasin, as well as 50 key stakeholders representing 35 unique entities in the Madera Subbasin. 
• The Statewide Support Entity formed a diverse Advisory Committee that includes environment, agriculture, community, tribal representation and brought on The Nature Conservancy and the Union of Concerned Scientists as Implementation Partners. These roles leverage the expertise of organizations to support successful SSE operations and program implementation.

The DOC, SSE, and block grantees look forward to continued progress toward program and regional goals in 2024 and beyond.

Self-Help Enterprises recently received generous contributions from our partners to continue to serve families across the San Joaquin Valley! 

A $50,000 check was presented to SHE for promoting homeownership in Black communities with Homeownership Counseling and Education. Tri Counties Bank contributed $25,000, which was matched with $25,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. 

"It is gratifying to work with Self-Help Enterprises to create homeownership opportunities for families in the San Joaquin Valley," said Danna Prater, VP, Director of Community Development for Tri Counties Bank. "Tri Counties Bank is excited to once again support SHE with an Empowering Black Homeownership grant and looks forward to its impact on our communities." 

Thanks to their support, SHE can continue providing homeownership and counseling services via the Gateway Program. This program offers educational and counseling services to equip first-time homebuyers with essential tools and resources as they begin their homeownership journey. 

To celebrate SHE's 60th Anniversary, each month we are highlighting the journey we've been on as an organization since 1965. Last month, we took a trip down memory lane and examined the roots of our Community Development programs, and this month we are spotlighting how much these initiatives have grown in recent decades. SHE's services extend beyond self-help housing, and we understand that for communities to truly thrive, we must have a holistic approach to supporting and elevating residents and families in rural areas. The cornerstones of our Community Development programs are safe drinking water and sanitary sewer systems, and we have expanded over the years to include drinking water for schools, community engagement and planning, and leadership development. 

At the forefront of SHE's Community Development programs is the commitment to providing safe drinking water. Many communities in the region grapple with contaminated water sources, posing serious health risks to residents. SHE seeks funding and offers technical assistance to empower communities in their quest for clean, safe drinking water. From conducting water quality investigations to assisting with project financing, the staff works tirelessly to ensure a permanent solution to this critical issue. 

“Being without water is very stressful because every time the community’s pump was out, we didn’t know how long we were going to be without water,” said Lucy Hernandez, President of the West Goshen Mutual Water Company. “The tests for our new pipeline came back clear and our water is safe to drink. I can cook and have a glass of water.”  Read more

Our team of 200+ people are joined with a shared mission of working with families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. You can too!