Groundbreaking of New Affordable Housing in Indio - Villa Hermosa III
The Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) is pleased to announce it has broken ground on Villa Hermosa Apartments Phase III, a new affordable housing development that will be home to 100 families. This new development consists of one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartment units for farmworkers located at 83801 Dr. Carreon Boulevard in the City Indio, Riverside County, California.
 
The site of Villa Hermosa Apartments Phase III was once the Fred Young Farm Labor Camp. The first permanent farmworker housing development funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Southern California, constructed in the 1930s as temporary wood shacks for migrants and consisted of 186, 12x18 foot one-room wooden buildings with no indoor plumbing. In 1962 labor leader Cesar Chavez organized the National Farm Worker Association and brought attention to farm laborers' plight and living conditions nationally, which led to the shacks replacement in the 1960s with 500-square-foot, two-bedroom, and cinder-block dwellings. The 58-acre site became known as "El Campo" and home to 253 families, had deteriorated into an isolated slum community with the accompanying ills of crime, poverty, and hopelessness. In 2007, CVHC was asked to take it over.
 
Since then, CVHC has transformed the former labor camp landscape into a picturesque energy-efficient community that will be completed in August 2022. The development will cost just over $40M to construct and would not be possible without the collaboration of funding sources including the City of Indio fee-waivers, County of Riverside HOME Loan, Housing Authority of the County of Riverside Low-Moderate Income Housing Asset Funds, California Department of Housing and Community Development Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Loan, the California State Treasurer through the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, USDA 514 loan and Rental Assistance, and Wells Fargo Bank National Association, and Wells Fargo Affordable Housing Community Development Corporation. Through these combined public and private contributions and investments, we are a building this 3rd and final phase of new units for residents in the Fred Young Farm Labor Camp.

This project benefits the community in multiple ways beyond providing affordable housing. It also:

  • Brings jobs to the community: the project provides prevailing wage construction jobs to locals

  • Repurposed Water: this project will be the first Affordable Housing development in the City of Indio and Riverside County to use repurposed water to irrigate plants.

  • Energy Efficient: This community also meets energy standards through the Energy Star Program, LEED Platinum for Homes, and Green Property Management. It will also offer the same energy-efficient standards through its refrigerators, washers/dryers, dishwashers, stoves/ovens, etc.

  • Outdoor recreation: include roughly 2 acres of parkway/green belt for recreation and social gatherings, 4 tot lots, and a swimming pool. 

  • Computer Center: All residents will have access to the existing community center at Villa Hermosa I which includes a computer learning center complete with computers, educational software and Internet access.

  • Community Programs: include after-school Kid's Club, tutoring services, and nutrition programs.

Health + Housing

CVHC is embracing a Health + Housing Model in collaboration with the Building Healthy Places Network, which brings together community development and healthcare practitioners to improve health in
low-income communities.


As part of this initiative, we have been bringing mobile health clinic services including providing drive-through COVID testing and COVID vaccines and testing.

CVHC was able to bring blood pressure and glucose checking events to residents in partnership with Coachella Valley Volunteers In Medicine. The events where held as Las Casas III, Paseo de Los Heroes II, Fred Young Labor Camp, and Villas Oscar Romero.



The Coachella Valley Volunteers In
Medicine saw about seventy people in the month of March. We are hoping to increase the number of residents screened by holding these events at more CVHC sites in April. 

Follow us on Facebook for more updates and schedules.

Rental Assistance Program

The Coachella Valley Housing Coalition has been working in providing rental assistance to our residents affected by COVID-19 at the different multifamily housing developments. CVHC received substantial funding from NeighborWorks America ($100,000), California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH) ($35,000), CVHC provided $5,000 of rental assistance funds and Hyder Property Management Professionals matched these funds with another $5,000. – We have assisted more than 35 residents with these funds.

Also, with the first round of rental assistance funds, the Lift to Rise Organization (LTR) has provided $397,000 of rental assistance to about 130 residents throughout our properties. The second round just opened and management company is assisting residents in completing applications for additional funding. The funding comes directly to the properties. Those residents that are not approved by LTR, will be funded with the funds CVHC has available.
Meet our Head of Operations
Melissa Evans

Melissa is a native to the Coachella Valley graduating from Indio High School and obtaining her Associates degree in Liberal Studies from College of the Desert. She will be graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University San Bernardino this May. Melissa will begin the master’s in public administration program with an emphasis in Non-Profit Management at Grand Canyon University this summer.

After 3 ½ years in CVHC’s Asset Management department Melissa was promoted to Head of Operations where she will work to improve organizational systems, make company communication more efficient, facilitate Board relations, serve as the organizations HR administrator, and manage the company’s IT system. These responsibilities will put to good use the over 17 years in management Melissa brought with her to CVHC of which 3 years was serving as the operations manager for a local food distributor.

Melissa is honored to be a part of the CVHC family and looks forward to growing professionally in her new role while helping CVHC and CVHC staff continue the mission to improve the living conditions of low-income individuals and families by constructing and operating affordable housing infused with community services programs and other opportunities that enrich, build, & grow their lives.

Support our JFM Scholarship Program
JFM Scholarship is a scholarship awarded annually to 40 students seeking higher education at any accredited college, university, or vocational school. To date, more than $842,000 in scholarship funds have been awarded, benefitting more than 840 students, supporting their dreams, and helping them persevere to complete their degrees. On average 70% of the students are the first in their families to attend college, 60% of the students are farmworkers or children of farmworkers. 100% of our scholarship recipients from families who are low to very low income.

Please consider supporting our students as the JFM Scholarship is more than just financial support. It is also a symbol of support and encouragement—that we believe in them and support their dreams.

 To learn more about this program or to donate: