Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) and Salt + Light Works of Tulare County have officially broken ground for The Neighborhood Village in Goshen, CA! On Thursday, August 25th, community members, healthcare partners, and government officials gathered to celebrate the historic occasion.
“In the spirit of changing the landscape of Tulare County for the better forever, I ask the Central Valley Community to trust Salt + Light by supporting us and allowing us to continue this important work of addressing homelessness,” says Adrianne Hillman, founder and CEO of Salt + Light.
It’s the first permanent, supportive housing community of its kind for those experiencing homelessness in the State of California! The 52-unit master-planned community will stand next to Sequoia Commons, SHE’s multi-family housing development.
“Self-Help Enterprises is excited to work with Salt + Light Works to build their first project in Goshen,” says Tom Collishaw, President and CEO of SHE. “We are committed to expanding our impact on the homelessness challenge through dynamic partnerships with mission-driven organizations like ours.”
The Neighborhood Village will feature fully furnished modular homes with complete amenities inside. It will also provide wraparound mental and physical health services to support individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. These include wellness and financial literacy classes, narcotics anonymous and alcoholics anonymous meetings, job training, and workforce development opportunities.
Its abundant outdoor spaces will feature a central park, organic garden, off-leash dog park, and a community table eating space. Situated across from the Unity Hall, a memorial garden and columbarium will honor the friends and family of residents. The coffee shop, marketplace, library, and community kitchen will also add to the available spaces where residents can unite and create healthy habits.
Several community organizations are supporting The Neighborhood Village as a local project to provide a safe and dignified living space for future residents. These include Health Net, who are sponsoring the community kitchen, and Redman Homes, who are supplying the units. Self-Help Enterprises and Salt + Light look forward to welcoming residents into their new community in the upcoming year.
Salt + Light, founded in 2019, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the homeless crisis in the Central Valley. The vision behind Salt + Light is to empower people into a lifestyle of service with people experiencing homelessness and to shift cultural perception around this crisis. Providing dignity and care in a safe and relational community setting is how Salt + Light is making a difference and the organization is asking for your community-wide support in joining the movement.
Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is a nationally recognized community development organization whose mission is to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. The pioneer and leading provider of mutual self-help housing in the United States, SHE’s efforts today encompass a range of endeavors to build better homes and communities for farmworkers and other hard-working families. Since 1965, SHE has helped more than 6,400 families to build their own homes, rehabilitated over 6,800 unsafe homes, developed over 2,000 units of affordable rental housing, and has provided technical assistance for reliable access to safe drinking water and sanitary sewer infrastructures which has affected the lives of over 33,000 individuals in 160 small communities. SHE’s commitment to providing resources and training for individuals builds the capacity of highly effective leaders in communities that also promote collaborative solutions for improving communities. These combined efforts have touched the lives of over 65,000 families, providing security and stability for families and building more productive communities.