Nine new affordable homes now occupy the addresses at 2901-2917 Vine Street in Paso Robles.
Homeowners picked up keys to their new homes during a dedication ceremony on Friday, November 22.
Project Manager Emily Baranek said these homes have been 13 years in the making due to financial challenges.
“We struggled to find funding, so it took a pause for a long time,” Baranek said.
Eventually, they secured funds to make the homes affordable for nine families.
“The city helped us purchase the property. Then we received some grant funding from the county and from the state, and then had to supplement with a loan from the USDA for construction,” Baranek said.
After locking down the necessary funds, homeowners completed interviews, mortgage applications and hundreds of hours of sweat equity.
“They each had to put in 250 hours per person, meaning if it’s a two-person household that’s 500 hours toward the down payment on that loan,” Baranek explained.
One of the nine homeowners, Abbie Baltazar, said the sweat equity consisted of both physical labor and support for Habitat for Humanity.
“I’ve done some of my sweat equity hours at the Habitat ReStore, but a lot of it was here in our neighborhood building fences, relocating dirt,” Baltazar said.
She reflected on her journey to home ownership, saying, “It feels monumental. It was a lot of hard work and effort and it wasn't just built overnight.”
Move-in is still a few weeks out, as the homes undergo some finishing touches.
