San Bernardino, CA – Marcia Fudge, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), on Aug. 24 toured a cluster of affordable housing communities rehabilitated by National CORE with the City of San Bernardino, the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB), and other partners.
The tour highlighted Crestview Terrace, Olive Meadow and Valencia Vista, three communities known collectively as Arrowhead Grove, at the heart of the City of San Bernardino. Formerly known as Waterman Gardens, the aging community was originally built in 1943 as public housing and was in need of revitalization.
Fudge praised the development for providing a beautiful and dignified home for residents, creating a model for affordable housing by creating a community that engenders safety, wellness and hope.
“National CORE is proud of our highly successful partnership with San Bernardino, state legislators and housing leaders and the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino,” said Lorraine Kindred, National CORE’s vice president of public affairs. “Together, we revitalized the former Waterman Gardens into a thriving, beautiful community that fulfills the critical need for affordable housing for our working families.”
Valencia Vista, the first phase of the renovation, opened 76 apartment homes to residents in December 2016. A little more than a year later, Olive Meadow opened 62 homes in September 2017. The third phase, Crestview Terrace, with 147 affordable apartment homes and 35 market-rate apartments, opened in 2021.
Thursday’s tour also included U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, HUD Regional Administrator Jason Pu, HACSB Executive Director Maria Razo, HACSB Deputy Executive Director Rishad Mitha, National CORE’s Vice President of Public Affairs Lorraine Kindred, San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran, Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, Grand Terrace Mayor Pro Tem Doug Wilson, Redlands Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Tejeda, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations Deputy Assistant Secretary Peter A. Hunter, HUD Office of Public Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Ruth T. Jones Nichols, PH.D., City of San Bernardino Public Information Officer Jeff Kraus and Fontana Deputy City Manager Phil Burum.
During the tour, participants also watched a National CORE video chronicling the development. Each of the mayors also discussed their cities and needs from HUD.
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About National CORE
National CORE is one of the largest nonprofit developers in the nation, with a 30-year history of being an innovator in the field. In 2021 National CORE became one of only two affordable housing developers to earn an A+ credit rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings. In 2022, National CORE issued $100 million in Series 2022 Social Bonds to accelerate the development of critically needed affordable housing. Serving more than 25,000 residents, National CORE strives to be a launching pad, not a landing pad, for families struggling financially. In 1998, National CORE created the Hope through Housing Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit, whose mission is to end the cycle of generational poverty through resident services that promote educational attainment, economic mobility, and overall well-being.
About Hope through Housing Foundation
Hope through Housing believes that affordable housing can be a platform for transformational change at the individual and neighborhood level. For more than 20 years, the Hope through Housing Foundation has provided more than 2 million hours of transformational social services helping children and teens achieve success, improving families’ financial well-being, and promoting seniors’ health and wellness. For more information on Hope through Housing, please visit www.hthf.org.
Media Contact
William Diepenbrock
wdiepenbrock@nationalcore.org
(909) 294-7883
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