For SanJuanita Rodriguez, her Parlier home holds many cherished memories. It's where her children were raised and where she eventually cared for her husband during his final years. Since the passing of her husband eight years ago, SanJuanita has tried her best to maintain her home in a safe condition. However, the burden of medical bills and the rising cost of living made it impossible for her to make any repairs to the home.  

There were multiple signs of the 37-year-old home’s deteriorating state, including the old windows, which kept utility costs high. That is why, with the support of her children, SanJuanita applied to the Housing Rehabilitation program at Self-Help Enterprises. “Ahora tengo 76 años y sólo puedo pagar mis facturas más básicas,” said SanJuanita. “Durante mucho tiempo me sentí impotente al ver los problemas que tenía la casa y sin poder hacer nada al respecto.”(“I’m 76 years old now and can only pay my most basic bills. For the longest time, I felt helpless to see the problems the home had yet unable to do anything about it.”)

Once she went through the application process and was approved, all of the home's windows were replaced with new energy-efficient ones. In addition, fresh paint and new durable siding replaced the rotted areas of the home’s exterior. The band board and trim around the base were replaced throughout the house, also due to rotting. The large sliding door and its trim were also entirely replaced.

“Estoy muy agradecido por el programa de rehabilitación de viviendas,” said SanJuanita. “Mi casa quedó hermosa. Ver mi casa como nueva nuevamente fue muy especial para mí. Espero que más personas puedan beneficiarse del programa como lo hice yo.” (“I am so thankful for the housing rehabilitation program. My house turned out beautiful. Seeing my home feel like new again was so special to me. I hope more people will be able to benefit from the program like I did”.) Read more 

On August 30th, nine families in Orosi officially received the keys to start moving into the brand-new homes they all built together! The families celebrated alongside SHE staff and received certificates to commemorate their outstanding accomplishments.  

Via Self-Help Enterprises’ Mutual Self-Help Housing program, the participating families worked together to help each other build their houses with skilled onsite supervision and guidance of SHE’s construction staff. Participants choose from three- and four-bedroom floor plans, which include a dishwasher and range, two-car garages, landscaped front yard, and energy-efficient features. Together, the families poured foundations, framed their homes, installed electrical wiring, and much more. Each family contributed a minimum of 40 hours per week to construct their homes. These labor hours, or “sweat equity,” are used as the down payment on their new home, reducing costs for a new home they could otherwise not afford. All these efforts contributed to their greater goal of achieving homeownership!  

SHE also assists each applicant with securing the loans needed to build their home. Special financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of California makes these homes affordable. Learn more about the Mutual Self-Help Housing program. 

On September 22nd, members of Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand at our Mutual Self-Help Housing project in Turlock! They volunteered to work hand in hand with homebuilders to help construct their new, safe, and affordable homes. While instructed by a SHE construction supervisor, the group supported the families with various tasks, such as assisting with setting forms and installing electrical wiring on the homes. We’re thankful to the volunteers for taking the time to help make the families’ dreams of homeownership a reality!  

This month, members of SHE’s leadership team also had the opportunity to walk through the upcoming community and see the hardworking families' fantastic dedication to building their homes. There are now a total of twenty-two new homes being constructed in the Turlock community by families participating in SHE’s Mutual Self-Help Housing program. We’re excited to see the progress on the homes and are proud of all of our participants for their commitment to providing stability for their families through homeownership! 

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!