The Joys of Affordable Housing

By John Ahlswede

President, Sun Country Builders

This year, I watched proudly as the company I founded, Sun Country Builders, celebrated its 45th year in business. You can bet there have been a lot of long hours, sweat and tears – but there has also been a lot of joy. We’ve built more than 8,700 affordable housing units, the equivalent of 117 football fields worth of housing, to date. Through our work, we have forged partnerships with some of the best developers in the affordable housing space in Southern California – including right here in San Diego. Our tremendous growth from our humble beginning with just two employees to the talented team of more than 110 we have today demonstrates the shared heart, passion and commitment of our team and development partners. Our collective goal is simple, to give people a place to call home, where they’re given the opportunity to thrive.

Each affordable housing community we build serves as a place to nurture people, veterans, seniors, the formerly homeless, the developmentally disabled or so often, families. Early on in my career I recognized that despite the inevitable challenges of our business – temporary roadblocks due to issues with supplies, funding or permitting, you name it – it’s vital to remember that what we’re doing extends far beyond building a structure. When it comes to families, for example, an affordable home provides stability for a child – having a lasting impact on his or her future.

Almost 30 years ago, a visit to a recently completed project left a lasting impression on me. I watched as two young boys – brand new neighbors – ran and played in the open space between their two apartments. Their mothers were watching over them from their kitchen windows as they prepared dinner. With adequate shelter and a supportive community, gone is the stress caused by the uncertainty of homelessness or being priced out of comparable housing options. Residents can get back to what matters most – creating their own joy.

With each grand opening we attend, our team watches as our dedicated developer partners welcome in residents whose lives will be positively impacted.

I have met two former residents who were raised in affordable housing communities built by SCB. They shared their impressive stories with me. One sat on the board for one of our developer clients – helping to lead the same nonprofit that served her family. The other is a successful restaurant owner.

We know dynamic onsite programming and supportive services offered by our partners are the catalyst for lasting change in residents’ lives. They lift people and children up – helping to cultivate success stories like the ones I just mentioned. At Sun Country Builders we have a set of core values that guides everything we do. One of those values is “We Care” – we are mindful of our shared humanity – and our partnership with our clients goes beyond four walls. Long after we have screwed the last doorknob into place, and passed that final inspection on a project, we support the work they do through their onsite supportive services, with a particular focus on youth literacy programs since we believe strong reading skills provide children with an upper hand in life. 

This year, we sponsored a reading program for 162 children living at 14 Wakeland properties throughout San Diego. A total of more than 57,000 minutes were tallied and sixteen kids who successfully completed 1,000 minutes of reading were rewarded with a trip to Legoland, an opportunity they likely wouldn’t have had otherwise. Separately, we sponsored 11 six-week summer camps for 186 children living at Linc Housing properties. By summer’s end, Linc reported 100% of the kids retained or improved their reading levels – critically important during the summer when children often experience a loss of literacy skills over the long school break.

During our 45th anniversary campaign earlier this year, our team saw first-hand how onsite services positively impact residents as they hand-delivered 45 books to children enrolled in a MAAC-sponsored Head Start, one of the aforementioned Linc-sponsored summer camps and a Wakeland-sponsored after-school program.

SCB Project Coordinator Jarisa Welles, who helped on one of our recent visits said, “Volunteering makes our work that much more meaningful. It boosts our team spirit, and helps our employees feel good – building our work culture.”

As our Director of Construction Dennis Dizon noted, his experience was also “eye-opening. We saw firsthand how hard the onsite staff works and we were inspired by their dedication to the residents.”

I’d like to express my gratitude for everyone involved in the local affordable housing industry – whether it’s in construction, development, lending or providing vital onsite services. You put in the work each day, doing your small part to change lives and, in the process, you spread joy – something the world could always use more of.