"Home Is..." Holiday Party

At the heart of Tracey’s work is inclusion and diversity. She believes that these two qualities allow people to understand and learn from one another, so that communities can thrive. 

In fact, inclusion has been important to Tracey prior to working at Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation. Years ago, when her daughter began to cheer, Tracey saw that the cost of the notoriously expensive sport of all-star cheerleading was deterring many families from participating. With this knowledge, she and a partner incorporated and formed a nonprofit organization for low-income and at-risk youth to participate in competitive cheerleading, called San Diego Show All Star Cheer and Dance. Started in 2007 in the North Park Recreation Center, the program is still going strong today.

Tracey explained that the experience was one of her proudest accomplishments and it continues to be an inspiration for her, “When I see people smile. It’s the little things… it’s providing that experience so that a kid can be a kid and not have to worry about the adult things we have to worry about.”

Her spirit of helping underserved communities continues in her work at Wakeland. When Tracey first began, there wasn’t any training or guidance for the resident service coordinators. She used her knowledge and experience from the nonprofit sector to pioneer the organizational structure for the resident service providers. Outside of Wakeland, Tracey has also played an integral role in the Resident Services Support Network (RSSN) with SDHF. RSSN brings resident service providers together from around San Diego County with educational workshops and networking events to collaborate and celebrate the work they all do.

“The (RSSN training) workshops have helped me become a great listener. I’ve learned that you don’t have to say anything, you can just listen to somebody. I’ve learned to ask questions, instead of telling people what to do. I’ve learned to ask questions to really understand what someone’s going through.”

With 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector under her belt, Tracey feels there are new lessons to learn every day. Calling herself a life-long learner, she feels encouraged and excited by new possibilities and opportunities for growth. Wakeland’s Atmosphere Apartments in Downtown San Diego offers Tracey a valuable learning experience with its incorporation of permanent supportive housing units.

“It’s an overall exciting feeling when you have a new property because there’s something to learn. I’m excited about that because it’s another area that I’m going to learn, because I’m not too familiar with the whole supportive housing and how to help. So, I feel that’s a growth opportunity for me.”

The new permanent supportive housing units reflect the inclusive work that Tracey has always aimed to provide within marginalized populations. She believes that anyone who makes an honest living should be able to have a safe, affordable place to call home.

We at the San Diego Housing Federation, acknowledge the compassion, resourcefulness and persistence Tracey exhibits, making sure residents have the resources they need to accomplish their personal and professional goals. For these reasons, Tracey was awarded the Outstanding Service to Residents award at this year’s 2017 Ruby Awards.

Tracey, we are sincerely grateful for all your hard work and we can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish in 2018!

"Lemon Grove is a small city with a big heart. I take pride in knowing that my city, Lemon Grove, is a place where the average person can afford to live."

Upon being sworn in to office, she vowed to make Lemon Grove a safe, secure, and people-friendly city. Although it hasn’t even been a year since she became mayor, Lemon Grove has already exceeded its annual affordable housing requirement under her leadership.

Affordable housing is important to Mayor Vasquez because she knows that not all Lemon Grove residents have deep pockets, but that doesn’t make them any less deserving of a home.

Thank you, Mayor Vasquez, for your support and leadership in our sector!

Matt’s involvement with affordable housing began in the early ‘90s when the United States was experiencing an economic recession. At the time, he was working in a San Diego satellite office for a large Japanese investment company. When the satellite office had to shut down, he continued working with the company in Los Angeles, but for the married father of two, the tedious long weekend commutes back to San Diego left him wanting something new.

When a job as Development Director at San Diego Interfaith Housing Foundation came up, he applied despite not knowing much about affordable housing at the time. He faced stiff competition from about 300 other applicants. “Ten made it to the finals, and they had pity on me and hired me,” Matt joked. “I didn’t know about affordable housing, so I went to the LISC (San Diego) training. I was (in) one of their first graduating classes, I think.”

Now, after 26 years in the affordable housing sector, Matt has seen the need for affordable housing exponentially increase. Yet, he remains optimistic in these troubling times. In his perspective, as the need for affordable housing grows, so does the visibility. Matt believes the recent passing of SB2 in September is a clear indication that much needed change is finally coming. He also believes that changing perceptions about affordable housing is just as important as changing laws.

“It’s a big part of my life, it’s not one of those jobs where you go home and check out. I’m always thinking of doing something better, taking something home and noodling it around.”

When the Iowa Street Apartments began construction, he received phone calls from North Park residents with some less-than-motivating words. “You’re going to ruin the neighborhood!” one concerned resident said. However, Matt knew that once the affordable housing project was up and running, the concerned North Park residents would have a change of heart. Not soon after, the same resident called him again saying, “Wow! We had no idea how good this was going to be and you’ve been a good neighbor, you’ve listened to our concerns and now we see the finished product and we really like it.”

While it’s good to know that surrounding residents are happy, it’s more important to Matt that the 120-unit Iowa Street Apartments are providing affordable homes for seniors in the North Park Area. “When we open a property like Iowa Street and you see residents who are so excited and so grateful they have a safe, decent space, it’s just so gratifying. I wish that were happening ten-times over all the time.”

Matt has been involved with SDHF since the early 1990’s and states, “I am always in awe of the tremendous work that is done by the Federation members for a growing number of lower income individuals and families in need of affordable housing and ancillary services.”

As a testament to Matt’s commitment to affordable housing, we are thrilled to have an End of Year Match Campaign courtesy of San Diego Interfaith Housing Foundation that will match every dollar donated up to $4,000.

Matt, we cannot thank you enough for your commitment to affordable housing, your commitment to the success of the Federation and your compassion! We are proud that you are our Board President!

To better engage with the residents, she set up a survey and discovered the majority of the residents wanted the same thing. Without hesitation, Kimberly did the one thing that she knew would help transform the residents’ lives: she listened. The residents’ needs were simple.

Driven by community and a sense of safety, Kimberly is constantly inspired. A mentor, leader, and teacher, she helped develop Resident Services into a more fully-functioning program with heart. With her involvement, SDCHC has overseen several programs implemented to help educate and enrich the lives of residents. One such program received a state-wide grant that provided financial literacy to affordable housing providers to serve low-income minorities. The program operated throughout California, from the border of Oregon all the way down to San Ysidro. During the three-year course, the residents’ behavioral and spending changes were tracked for their effectiveness. The result? “We made a huge impact on the families,” Kimberly said.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development thought so too. For her work with SDCHC, Kimberly received an award from HUD in Washington, DC recognizing her state-wide accomplishments in community development and resident services. Kimberly says she finds inspiration not only from her work, but the people in her community.

When asked what inspires her, Kimberly said, “the people that I work with. The staff that I work with. They inspire me every single day. Our CEO (Robert St. Germain) inspires me. Our founder, Robert Ito. Being able to serve the community that raised me. To be able to provide quality services to my hometown. It’s a different meaning when you’re born here and you know the residents on a firsthand level and you know the struggle and the sacrifices that they make.”

In the case of one resident, it was life-saving as well. Thanks to a good partnership with the University of San Diego’s nursing program, some residents who haven’t had adequate healthcare in years are able to receive medical services. One particular resident who hadn’t been to the doctor in 20 years had been complaining about pain underneath her breast. After an in-home mammogram, they had discovered the resident had breast cancer.

Kimberly’s unwavering commitment to providing quality services that both educate and enrich the lives of affordable housing residents shines through in the work that she does with SDHF’s Resident Services Support Network (RSSN). Recognizing the vital role that service providers play in affordable housing, Kimberly is proud to have been a part of RSSN since its inception. Creating a space for committed and compassionate resident services professionals with meaningful and practical support through educational forums, networking opportunities, and peer learning in order to see residents flourish has been at the forefront of the mission of RSSN.

“You need that because people are going through real life stuff. And, if they are going through real life stuff, they want to know that that person is going to be there. They want to entrust and feel like they can be there with that person.”

Proving she listens and delivers, in 2012, Kimberly was awarded a Ruby for Outstanding Resident Services from SDHF and she continues to act as co-chair for the Resident Services Support Network (RSSN).

In response to finish the sentence – Home Is…, a quote from Michael Phelps came to mind, “‘Swimming is normal for me, I’m relaxed. I’m comfortable. And I know my surroundings. It’s my home.’ So, that’s what I was thinking. That’s what people feel. It’s relaxed, they know their surroundings; they feel safe. It’s their home.”

Thank you, Kimberly for sharing with us and for your continued partnership with SDHF!

That moment became a turning point for Arnulfo; he had discovered a passion for affordable housing. After the presentation, he met with the Assistant Director and let her know that he wanted to work at the North County Housing Foundation. Arnulfo began to work with the organization as an intern, but continued to ask questions and take on more tasks. They saw his passion and interest in the work and began to assign him project-related tasks and by the end of his college career, he was working between 25 and 30 hours per week. Now, with 24 years of experience, Arnulfo knows that affordable housing improves the livelihood of families and communities.

If someone has a stable, safe, and adorable home environment, they can provide for their children. It creates an environment that people can thrive in.

Arnulfo’s involvement with the San Diego Housing Federation began in 1993, when he attended the Annual Affordable Housing and Community Development Conference. As a project manager at the time, he came to the conference to learn more about housing development and meet people who do the same work. After attending a few meetings and trainings, he became more involved by participating in panels and workshops, serving on the Board of Directors for six years, including President of the Board for two years, and has served on the Conference Planning Committee several years.

Early in his career Arnulfo had a project that involved interviewing families who were living in substandard conditions and preparing to move into their own apartments. One interview was with a family of three, who were living in one bedroom of a three-bedroom house with two other families occupying the other rooms. Unable to find a quiet space, as there were about 10 people living in that home, he had to have the interview with the family in their bedroom. “When they moved out and got their own space… I could see the change it made in people.”

In 2004, at the 10 Year Anniversary of the Mercado Apartments opening, residents spoke about their living experiences. Several families mentioned they had lived at Mercado since its opening in 1994. This stood out to Arnulfo, for a big reason. At the time, Mercado had a policy that if families went over a certain income, they had to move out. This policy essentially did not encourage residents to thrive, because once they made even a penny over the income limit, they would have to leave Mercado and be on their own.

Arnulfo knew they had to change the way they work with families. Since then, the policy has been removed and has allowed families to continue to seek advancement and success. “Now we’re seeing those incomes move up and seeing those families move out on their own.”  With this new transitional approach, Arnulfo and MAAC are now seeing families become more self-sufficient. When an empty plot of land is planted with a seed of stability, it allows for a garden to bloom and for life to thrive. It happens with roses and it happens with affordable housing.

We want to thank Arnulfo for his continued involvement with SDHF and for his commitment to creating environments where people can thrive.

Maria knew that this home was a blessing she could not and would not take for granted. Since moving into her home, she has become a devoted advocate for affordable housing. Her goal is to help anyone who is in a similar position to where she was once.

“I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I’ve struggled. I’ve lost both parents. I’m a recovering addict. I’ve been on section 8. A lot of politicians will don’t know because they’ve never experienced it.”

Maria’s advocacy led her to be a critical player in Residents United Network (RUN) and allowed her the opportunity to travel to Sacramento for Lobby Day for the last 3 years. On one of her visits to the capitol, she met California Assemblyman Brian Maienschein. Maria chased him down the halls and assertively introduced herself as constituent of his area and a resident of affordable housing. After this, it became her mission to convince the assemblyman to support affordable housing in the session and to ask for his support of the housing package known as Senate Bill 2, a measure that would create a permanent funding source for affordable housing through a new real estate fee.

For three years, Maria persistently met with the Poway Assemblyman, who remained non-committal. So, on September 14, 2017, when the votes were counted, Maria was in shock. Assemblyman Brian Maienschein had just officially supported the housing bill, making him the only Republican Assembly Member to vote in favor of Senate Bill 2.

Unable to contain her excitement, Maria woke her daughter with good news. “He said yes!” Maria Hernandez shouted. “(Assemblyman) Brian Maienschein just said yes!” For her daughter, it was just another school night, but for Maria, her years of advocating for affordable housing had paid off.

This victory wasn’t only for Maria, but for all affordable housing advocates who have devoted countless hours in hope of combatting the housing crisis. “I didn’t do this on my own, I had other people to help me,” Maria said.

Beyond advocating for affordable housing, Maria is currently studying political science in community college, hoping to continue fighting for affordable housing on behalf of those who still need it.

Maria has lived in Solara apartments for over ten years and says that she lives with a sense of security and pride that was provided through an affordable home.

Thank you for all you do and have done, Maria. We are proud to have you champion affordable housing!

Rickie grew up in the “projects” in Louisiana and understood the importance of affordable housing at a young age. It became her mission to work in the field as an adult. Before moving to San Diego, she worked for low-income housing in Louisiana, but it wasn’t until she worked for the City Heights Community Development Corporation that she truly understood the severity of the housing crisis here in San Diego.

Six years ago her then boss, Hanan Bowman, who was on SDHF’s board of directors, suggested she should get involved. She saw volunteering as a great way to learn more about affordable housing and the issues that surround it. In her words, her favorite moment volunteering has been, “seeing all the people genuinely interested in making affordable housing accessible to other people.”

Rickie participates in the San Diego Residents United Network program through SDHF and Housing California and attends Lobby Day in Sacramento yearly. Her work and volunteerism has given her insight on the importance of affordable housing and shown her the sheer magnitude of people that are suffering from the lack of it.

“You need to see the good in everybody. We’re all the same. Some of us are a little less fortunate, but we’re all the same. We’re all deserving of a good life, a safe and a decent life. Basic things. Somewhere clean and safe to live, food on the table, able to take care of our kids.”

Rickie continuously volunteers as a way to continue to learn about affordable housing in order to serve more people. One of the profound lessons she’s learned along the way, is that “if you really know what you’re talking about, and if a senator or assemblyperson or councilmember asks you a question and you can answer without hesitation, you can make a connection and sway that vote.”

As a property manager for Hollywood Palms, a 94-unit affordable housing community, Rickie is a fierce leader and advocate for her residents. She sees the challenges others in need face daily and offers her support and skills. She credits her father with her gift of being able to relate to others easily.

“When something goes wrong with my residents here, I can’t sleep,” Rickie said. In one instance, one of her residents, a mother and wife, passed away from cancer. The woman’s widower came into Rickie’s office desperate, begging for help. The section 8 voucher was under his wife’s name and he was now facing the possibility of being separated from his children. Rickie knew she had to help, but she had no idea how.

That same night, Rickie shot straight up out of bed at 3:00 AM with an idea. “Speak up for them,” Rickie said. She made a call to the San Diego Housing Commission and spoke on his behalf. With her help, they were able to change the voucher to his name. Allowing him the father the ability to stay with his children at Hollywood Palms. “I thought to myself, Lord, if I had died and my children had to split from their father, my soul would not rest.”

“I see the people coming and I see what they’re dealing with. So that’s been my challenge. But having that challenge, has also made me know that this is where I’m supposed to be. I’ve found my purpose in advocating and (have) political aspirations.” These aspirations have led her to take a course in how to run and campaign for political office.

Always a giver – she freely gives all she is able. She lives by the rule that we were put on this Earth to help one another. Rickie remembered the words of a dear friend who passed earlier this September that, “whatever I have, I should share.” Rickie wants to be of service to those in need. “I do it from my heart. I’ll be 59 on Sunday, when I close my eyes, I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to know that when I meet my maker he’s going to say, ‘Servant, well done.’”

Help us say thank you to Rickie for her commitment to serving and for all her hard work in affordable housing!