Affordable housing community opens in Coachella

A group of Coachella elected officials Monday celebrated the opening of a $47.9 million affordable housing community.

Mayor Steven Hernandez, Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia and city council members took part in the grand opening Pueblo Viejo Villas, a 105-unit development with 10 units set aside for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

“I cannot be more thankful, and proud, to see the city of Coachella and its developmental partners come together to create communities that meet so many needs like affordable housing and access to convenient public transportation,” Garcia, D-Coachella, said. “That is real progress.”

The affordable housing community is located near City Hall and the public library, as the focus of redevelopment activity in the area. The complex includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

The units are expected to be fully occupied by June 1, according to the Chelsea Investment Corp., which claims to have developed more than 12,000 units of affordable housing.

A nonprofit partner, Pacific Southwest Community Development Corporation, will offer residents a minimum of 84 hours of free on-site adult educational and skill-building classes each year. The classes will include computer literacy, ESL and art classes, job counseling, financial literacy, health and wellness workshops and a food distribution program.

Funding for the project was provided by:

— the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordability Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, which included grants to the city of Coachella, the Sunline Transit Agency and the Chelsea Investment Corporation;

— the California Department of Housing and Community Developments Infill Infrastructure Grant program;

— the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside’s project-based vouchers and HOME programs; and

— the California Department of Developmental Services’ Community Placement Plan program through the Inland Regional Center.

The area’s Pueblo Viejo Master Plan — which includes civic, commercial, residential and mixed-use component redevelopment plans — is also set to include a 108-unit apartment community also by Chelsea, which will receive more than $4 million in funding from the Infill Infrastructure Grant funds.

“We are experiencing more often that municipalities are not just building to build capacity — they are building to fill a long-important need of affordable housing centered around transportation hubs,” said Jim Schmid, founder and CEO of Chelsea Investment Corp. “The city of Coachella has been a significant change in the valley, and we are proud to be the city’s partner.

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