Incorporated: 1965

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STRATEGIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

With skilled onsite supervision from Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) construction staff, low-income families in the San Joaquin Valley are able to participate directly in the construction of their homes. Cost savings in the form of "sweat equity" provide the down payment. SHE works with self-help housing participants throughout the entire process, providing homeownership training and helping secure mortgage loans and other financing. Since its inception, SHE has helped nearly 5,400 families build their own homes; an average of 150 homes per year.

SHE operates a homebuyer assistance program, offering counseling as well as down payment assistance, mortgage interest premium reductions, and low-cost financing. Nearly 950 families have become first-time homebuyers through this program.

The organization also provides emergency repair and rehabilitation services to preserve and improve the existing housing stock. Emergency repairs include fixing unsafe wiring, faulty plumbing, and damaged roofs, as well as adapting houses to accommodate the special needs of seniors and people with disabilities. The housing rehabilitation program focuses on major renovation projects designed to bring substandard housing into compliance with current building codes and standards. SHE has rehabilitated or repaired nearly 5,400 homes since it began.

Recognizing that only one in five families qualifies for homeownership, SHE also develops rental housing for low-income residents. Due to the primary focus of each development on resident participation and responsibility, complexes incorporate community center buildings, which can be used for preschool, day care, and resident meetings. It currently owns and operates rental housing for more than 600 farm workers and families.

Small rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley often lack the most basic of services - clean drinking water and sanitary sewer systems. Residents historically relied on well water often tainted by pesticides or other contaminants. SHE works with the community on both of these issues to form special service districts, prepare funding applications, monitor engineering services, and implement adequate maintenance and accounting programs. To date, it has helped connect more than 18,800 households to clean drinking water and sanitary sewer systems.