Ten Gustine Families Achieve the Dream of Owning a Home

Ten Gustine Families Achieve the Dream of Owning a Home

Posted on February 10, 2016

On February 17 at 11 a.m., Self-Help Enterprises will recognize ten Gustine families who have completed the construction of their own home with a celebration event at 225 Via Sansosti, Gustine, CA 95322. These hardworking families will be recognized for working together 11 months to help build their new, safe, affordable homes. We are honored to have Congressman Jim Costa, Gustine Mayor Dennis Brazil, and staff from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development join us. The event will also include a tour of the homes and lunch.

Since 1965, when Self-Help Enterprises pioneered the mutual self-help housing program, the organization has helped more than 6,100 families in the San Joaquin Valley build their own homes and achieve the American dream of homeownership. The single-family, energy-efficient homes are all built under the USDA Rural Development mutual self-help housing program, with homeowners providing over 65% percent of the construction labor. Groups of 9 to 12 families are formed to construct the homes over an eight to twelve month period. With the help of family and friends, each owner must contribute a minimum of 40 hours per week toward completion of all homes in the group. The homes have models with three or four bedrooms, two baths, covered patios, and two-car garages. The houses range in size from 1,210 to 1,350 square feet.

Self-Help Enterprises’ emphasis on sustainable homeownership, combined with counseling and education, an affordable mortgage, and “sweat equity” down payment has resulted in successful homeownership for these hardworking families. Families not only build their homes and those of their neighbors, they also build an instant community, a sense of place, and skills that will last a lifetime.

The completion of the latest ten homes brings a total of 39 homes to Gustine since the first self-help houses were constructed in 2010. In addition, 12 homes are in an earlier stage of construction in Gustine. Framing activities are currently underway, with home construction slated to be completed in October 2016. These homes will mark the completion of the subdivision with a total of 51 homes.

The City of Gustine and Merced County have been important partners of Self-Help Enterprises for many years. The City embraced the need for affordable housing in Gustine which resulted in the city’s deferment of $208,000 in fees for the second phase of development, which made the construction of the homes feasible. The deferred fees will be paid by the families upon the sale of their home. Together, the City of Gustine, Merced County and Self-Help Enterprises has made a real difference for the homes and lives of California’s rural residents.

Self-Help Enterprises has three projects coming to the northern San Joaquin Valley in the next 12 to 18 months – in Dos Palos, Winton, Turlock, and Patterson – for a total of more than 100 new homes for families with limited incomes. The Conner Street Addition project, located in the City of Dos Palos, includes 32 homes. Home construction is expected to begin this month. The Winton project, located at California Street and Santa Fe Drive in Winton, includes 43 homes, with construction of the first 12 homes slated for February. The Montana Estates project, located in the City of Turlock, includes 22 homes. Home construction is expected to begin next July.

For more information about building your own home, visit this page.