The Quechan Housing Authority (QHA) is moving forward with its first Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) project! The California Tax Credit Allocation Commission (CTCAC) recently awarded a 2016 allocation of LIHTCs to QHA to construct 44 new units, a mix of single-family homes and duplexes, on the Fort Yuma Reservation in Winterhaven, CA.
This is the largest tribal LIHTC project in California and the second largest (based on the tax credit award) in Travois history!
The project will construct the new homes in an existing subdivision: 32 homes with three bedrooms and 12 homes with four bedrooms. The subdivision and infrastructure have been in place for development since 2008, but no other source of funding would allow QHA to build this number of units so quickly — in a timeframe of about two and a half years from start to finish. The existing units in the subdivision are well maintained and even have grass in the yards, which is very rare in this part of Southern California, just north of Yuma, AZ.
The project’s units are designed to meet CTCAC’s mandatory design guidelines and will incorporate several green building techniques. Every building in the project will incorporate solar panels. The project will also build a community building and playground that will be located across the street from the homes.
In addition to new homes, the residents of QHA Homes #1 will be offered additional services, such as adult education and wellness classes, as well as after-school programs for children.
I want to congratulate QHA for all of its hard work. I’m excited to be part of this history-making project!
I am so proud of the employees (past and present) and the Quechan Tribal Council (past and present) who were able to achieve all the necessary paperwork attached to such a huge reward. We are a very proud nation and are taking such pride in seeing the “grass” grow so the kids can grow up knowing that this type of living environment is “normal”. Keep up the good work and we will be sharing this kind of news for all years to come.
Hi, Robin – Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. We are so happy that all of the hard work you mentioned has made the project possible. We are excited to help it move through closing with an investor and the construction phase and especially for the day when the first families can move in!