CCH Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Westlake Christian Terrace East

Contact: Iris Murillo
imurillo@cchnc.org

On Tuesday, May 12, CCH will be celebrating the grand re-opening of Westlake Christian Terrace East, a recently renovated 200-unit complex offering affordable housing for low-income seniors. Festivities will occur between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm as part of an Affordable Housing Week celebration sponsored by East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO).

Built in 1968 by CCH, Westlake Christian Terrace East is among the oldest affordable housing communities in Oakland serving low income seniors.  With a diverse population of residents that reflect the local community, Westlake is the flagship facility for CCH and a major hub of senior housing and services.  In the past two years, all 200 apartments were upgraded with new bathrooms and kitchens.  The $58 million project includes building improvements to seismic strength, energy efficiency and accessibility, and construction of 23 additional parking spaces, a computer center and new outdoor seating area.

CCH CEO and President Don Stump states, “We are truly grateful for the support received from the City of Oakland, our valued partners and investors.  The project serves as an example of what is possible when invested parties collaborate to serve the greater good.  Together, we have ensured that this community will continue to serve as affordable housing for the seniors of this City for the next 50 years. ”

Visit www.cchnc.org for more information.

ABHOW’s Travis Hanna Elected President of the Affordable Housing Management Association of Northern California and Hawaii

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chelsea Richardson, Signal Hill
chelsea@signalhillspot.com

All for one, and one for all.

The credo for “The Three Musketeers” rings true for ABHOW and its relationship with the affordable senior housing profession.

The organization’s belief that individual success should be shared across the profession inspired the Affordable Housing Management Association of Northern California and Hawaii (AHMA-NCH) to elect ABHOW leader Travis Hanna as president at the group’s annual conference in September.

Hanna, a 23-year veteran of the profession, sees association leadership as a way to fulfill ABHOW’s mission to enhance the independence, well-being and security of older people. He knows that working with like-minded groups creates synergy, stimulates change and inspires new ideas – something he looks forward to in his new role.

As president of AHMA-NCH, a regional affiliate of the national organization, Hanna will leverage his skills to cultivate relationships among organizations with parallel missions. Specifically, Hanna intends to increase the association’s membership and drive attendance for training events as well as the group’s annual conference.

“As an active participant in AHMA-NCH, ABHOW is able to collaborate with organizations that have similar missions,” Hanna says. “We come together to learn from one another and affect change. For example, one important role of AHMA-NCH is to ensure that organizations like ABHOW have a voice in Washington, D.C.”

As ABHOW’s vice president of operations for affordable housing, Hanna oversees day-to-day operations for 33 communities. Through these communities, Hanna and his colleagues continue to address a pressing need for affordable housing. Today, 47 percent of adults surveyed experience unstable or insecure housing situations at some point in their lives, according to the 2014 How Housing Matters survey.

Ancel Romero, ABHOW’s senior vice president for affordable housing, has worked alongside Hanna for more than eight years. He says Hanna’s leadership will be mutually beneficial for ABHOW and AHMA-NCH.

“Partnerships and positive peer relationships are crucial to success in the ever-evolving affordable housing world,” Romero says. “Organizations that lend their expertise to others, that learn from them in turn, and operate in a spirit of transparency and supportiveness are better able to fulfill their mission of service.”

Hanna demonstrates that spirit of supportiveness every day by equipping fellow professionals to take new knowledge and skills back to their communities. In addition to his job with ABHOW and new role as AHMA-NCH president, Hanna works through the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) as a certified instructor to keep those in his field current on affordable housing topics.

He is an instructor for the Certified Professional of Occupancy (CPO) course and designation, which teaches HUD rules and regulations. He also teaches the Fair Housing Certification Course, which educates the profession about fair housing and civil rights laws. Additionally, Hanna teaches the Specialist in Housing Credit Management course, which provides certification for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

Hanna has served as acting president of AHMA-NCH for approximately six months and began his two-year term as president in January.

El Bethel Arms Set for Extensive Renovation

Contact: Iris Murillo
CCH Marketing Director
imurillo@cchnc.org

El Bethel Arms, Inc. is partnering with Christian Church Homes (CCH) to preserve a 255-unit senior housing property located in the Western Addition of San Francisco.

Lillie Peck, El Bethel Arms (EBA) Board Chair, stated, “The renovation of the El Bethel Arms community will not only preserve affordable housing for the next 40 years but will help us expand our mission to serve the greater needs of our local community.”

Beyond preserving affordable housing, the benefits of this projected $40 million collaboration include the creation of new jobs and the continued delivery of vital social service programs with the goal of providing meaningful revitalization within the Western Addition.

CCH President and CEO, Don Stump, commented, “At CCH, we will work with government officials in support of visionary public policy that protects affordable housing and recognizes the vulnerability of this significant community asset.  Preservation requires investment incentives, regulatory improvements, and predictable resources, both dollars and policies, to engage all parties in the outcome.  This has been our commitment for over half a century.”

About El Bethel Arms, Inc.

El Bethel Arms is a campus of three buildings that was built in 1973 by El Bethel Arms Inc., a community-based nonprofit organization sponsored by the El Bethel Baptist Church.  The property was originally financed using the HUD Section 236 program, which is due to expire at the end of 2014.  CCH and El Bethel are partnering in the preservation of this valuable senior community to ensure permanent affordable rental housing for the local senior community.

To learn more about CCH, visit www.cchnc.org.

CCH Launches Resident Care Fund

CCH, a nonprofit developer of affordable senior housing, is launching an innovative program, Resident Care Fund (RCF), which provides much-needed support when its residents are coping with an immediate crisis.  CCH serves residents with very limited income whose lives can, at critical times, be devastated by one missed check, flat tire, or accidental slip.

The RCF provides help when community members are facing critical needs such as food, medicine, transportation, support services, or medical services and supplies.

In the midst of developing this program, CCH supporters generously donated over $20,000 to build the initial reserves.  One hundred percent of the gifts to the fund go directly to the residents.

In one situation, a resident, who was suffering with an abscessed tooth, was in need of major dental work.  With no family or government agency able to provide help, she had no other resources to resolve her situation.  She could not cover the cost of dental work and end her persistent discomfort.  As such, she found it difficult to consume anything which affected her physically and emotionally. After learning about the RCF, she quickly applied and her request was approved.  Today, she is able to enjoy her meals pain free.

CCH Vice President of Philanthropy and Mission Implementation, John Rodenberg, states, “We see this fund as a way of providing an added level of support for our residents. Many need a life line during an unexpected emergency and this ensures our residents can get through a difficult moment with care and dignity.”

For more information, please visit www.cchnc.org and click on the Resident Care Fund.