This is the new affordable housing project in Tulare

TULARE, Calif. (

) – Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) hosted a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the first phase of Santa Fe Commons, a multi-family affordable housing project in the City of Tulare on Thursday.

Officials say Sants Fe Commons I offers 81 new units of affordable housing for Tulare residents, with one, two, and three-bedroom units.

Monthly rents are determined by unit size and the family’s income, and they range from $190 to $1066 to ensure that families, many of whom work in nearby fields or packing plants, have an affordable place to live. In addition, thirty-five of the units will be reserved for farmworker households through the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworkers program at the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Officials say 25 units will be reserved as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) through the HCD No Place Like Home program. Residents are referred through a partnership with the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance and Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency.

“The City of Tulare is extremely excited about the grand opening of Santa Fe Commons,” said Josh McDonnell, Assistant City Manager for the City of Tulare. “This project provides high-quality affordable housing and the opportunity for our unhoused residents to graduate from the homeless encampment directly to permanent supportive housing. We are optimistic the on-site services will provide housing stability and result in real transformation in Tulare.”

All incoming PSH residents will move into a fully furnished apartment and receive Welcome Home Kits, including essential household items such as bed linens, bath towels, and kitchenware.

“Santa Fe Commons will serve a truly broad range of people who need affordable housing – from low-income working families to individuals and families with children who have experienced homelessness,” said Pete Vander Poel, the Tulare County Supervisor representing District 2. “High housing costs and homelessness are prevalent issues in our communities. We need to continue to create diverse, permanent, affordable housing opportunities with wraparound services to meet the needs of all Tulare residents. Self-Help Enterprises’ Santa Fe Commons is a great example, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the local community.”

SHE Enterprises officials announced they are committed to expanding their affordable housing efforts in Tulare. To the north of Santa Fe Commons I, a second phase is currently under construction that will double the capacity by providing additional opportunities for stable housing in Tulare.

Santa Fe Commons is located at 537 N. West Street in the City of Tulare.