Cindy Vidal struggled to find a place she could afford – a home where she could raise her children in a safe, stable environment. That search ended when she discovered Guardian Village, a newly opened housing development in the heart of Reedley, California.
“After searching for an affordable home for so long, finding a place like this feels like such a blessing, especially with how hard it is to find housing these days," says Vidal. “My kids were thrilled when we found out we’d be moving here, and it’s such a relief knowing we’re so close to the schools.”
According to Tom Collishaw, president and CEO of Self-Help Enterprises, the NeighborWorks network organization that developed the property, an important feature of the community is its proximity to nearby amenities. “It’s in the downtown area of Reedley, which is a very pedestrian-friendly area,” he says. The five-building development also includes a playground, picnic tables with grilling setups and a community center.
Collishaw explains that the $25-million project was developed through a new California program that uses surplus state-owned land for the development of affordable housing. “The property was valued at about $700,000, and the state donated it to us on a 99-year lease,” he says. “This is the first or second project that has been completed through the program and is now being utilized as housing.”
Guardian Village offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for families earning between 15% and 60% of the area median income. More than 30% of its 48 apartments will be reserved for families and farmworkers facing housing insecurity.
Across the country, NeighborWorks and the network are building homes. Self-Help Enterprises is a leader in the network in terms of number of units developed. The organization is one of five network organizations that added more than 1,100 affordable rental units to the market in the past five years.
Rooted in history, honoring service
The name “Guardian Village” is a tribute to the veterans’ hall – Reedley American Legion 35 – that previously stood on the site. “We wanted to honor the importance of this property to local veterans,” says Collishaw. The organization has reached out to the group and offered them dedicated meeting space in the community building.
To further recognize the history of the site, the ribbon-cutting event featured a flag-raising ceremony. A plaque from the original veterans’ hall hangs on the wall of the new community center. “We wanted to make them feel welcome,” says Collishaw.
Where housing meets health
While Guardian Village offers residents a host of benefits, perhaps the most consequential feature is the result of an innovative partnership with UnitedHealth Group, which recognizes that housing and health go hand in hand. UnitedHealth developed a Health Action Plan (HAP) for the community that identifies health concerns in the area and targeted outcomes for improvement.
UnitedHealth contributed a $14.4 million equity investment to the Guardian Village development, committing $100,000 annually for the first 10 years to fund ongoing resident services and health initiatives. According to Collishaw, “This program allows us to create health action plans for individual residents and to have ongoing interactions with them for at least the first 10 years of its operation.” The initiative has already begun to take shape. “We have hired an individual who will be responsible for all the resident services at the site, but also, very importantly, these health action plans and this ability to track outcomes,” he says.
UnitedHealth also invested in a previous Self-Help Enterprises development. The Guardian Village program made sense as the next step in examining the relationship between housing and health, says Collishaw. “They were really excited about the opportunities around improving people’s health outcomes through better housing.” Another investor, Enterprise Community Partners, facilitated the partnership.
UnitedHealth developed the overall plan for the project, looking at factors like the connection between air quality and asthma rates, for example. “Now, with funding to focus on outcomes for 10 years in this project, we hope to exhibit that people’s lives change for the better when they’re in good, healthy housing and when they’re supported by appropriate services for each individual,” says Collishaw.
UnitedHealth Group recognized that “access to safe, affordable housing has a strong correlation with improved health and quality of life and community vitality,” said Steve Cain, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of California, part of UnitedHealth Group, which has invested more than $1 billion since 2011 to build new affordable housing communities in more than 31 states. That includes more than $105.5 million in California alone. It is part of a long-standing commitment to increasing affordable housing opportunities that drive better health outcomes.
Guardian Village is part of a growing trend within the NeighborWorks network to integrate health and housing. Across the country, network organizations are implementing creative solutions – like food pantries, exercise classes, and community gardens – that foster healthier lifestyles for residents.
NeighborWorks recognizes the deep ties between community development, housing and health, says NeighborWorks America’s Surbhi Sardana, senior manager, Network Learning. “Our health partnership investment work supports affordable housing and community development organizations to build relationships across the health sector. As Self-Help Enterprises demonstrates, the NeighborWorks network is uniquely positioned to leverage these partnerships and investments to transform communities.”
In Reedley, Guardian Village stands as an example how housing can transform lives, foster connection, and improve well-being.
