California Coalition for Rural Housing Interns become CHOC employees
Pictured from left to right: CHOC Project Manager Juliana Guidino, CHOC Project Coordinators Norma Velarde and Minami Hachiya, CHOC VP Real Estate Development Vince Nicholas, and Terri Smyth Canillo, CHOC Director of Family and Youth Services.
(Fairfield, CA) – In 2018-19, CHOC was honored to host two (2) California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH) interns: Ms. Norma Velarde and Ms. Minami Hachiya. As previously discussed, the Rural West Internship Program for Diversity in Non-Profit Housing and Community Development, now in its 21st year, selects and places interns across California, Washington, and Oregon. It is "designed to increase staff diversity within the Affordable Housing and Community Development field, and assist in meeting the diverse needs of the communities served throughout the rural West, including its emerging areas.” On April 15th, Ms. Hachiya and Ms. Velarde successfully graduated from the CCRH internship program, and were subsequently welcomed to the CHOC team as full-time Project Coordinators in Real Estate Development, led by Vincent Nicholas, VP of Real Estate Development. Congratulations to Norma and Minami!
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Norma Velarde is a UC Davis graduate, majoring in Community and Regional Development with a concentration in Policy and Planning, as well as Organization and Management. When asked in 2018 to describe her interest in affordable housing, Ms. Velarde wrote, “I experienced what it was like to grow up in a low-income household and the challenges it brought when my family sought affordable housing. My personal experience influenced my career choices…I want to positively impact the lives of others and build a better future for underserved communities.” Norma had hoped "to gain the professional skills required for future leadership roles by taking initiative on (CHOC) projects whenever possible," as well as "learning more about the hands-on process of building affordable housing, and the critical role non-profit organizations like CHOC play in achieving this goal throughout California." Now a full-time CHOC employee, Norma shared the following: “I am thankful that a program like CCRH exists because it has taught me the different aspects of affordable housing through a one-on-one mentorship with my supervisors. I am pleased to have accepted a full time position as a Project Coordinator with CHOC post-internship. I am looking forward to working on the many developmental projects currently in our pipeline.”
Originally from Hawai’i, the daughter of an immigrant mother and single parent, and a recent UC Davis graduate, Minami Hachiya credits affordable housing as the reason her mother was able to raise her children in a better neighborhood than they could’ve managed on their own. Ms. Hachiya cites this stability and security as the reason she had access to better schools and enhanced educational achievement during her formative years. “With this internship, I’ve not only been able to see the amount of detail that goes into every aspect of construction, finance, project management and property management, but also the larger ways each person on the development team plays his or her part in making CHOC affordable housing what it is today. With the knowledge I gain from my internship at CHOC, I hope to bring a better understanding of affordable housing back to Hawai’i, in order to address the intersectionality of indigenous peoples’ housing experience, as well as the worsening national housing crisis.” Commenting on her graduation and subsequent hiring: "CHOC has been a wonderful host agency, that I am also pleased to call my permanent employer. I am grateful to the CCRH Internship Program for opening doors for me and people with similar backgrounds, changing the narrative that often exists due to inequity and discrimination. Being able to learn first-hand from true affordable housing professionals has been so rewarding."
After participating in CCRH’s January 2019 Mid-Winter Training, Ms. Hachiya and Ms. Velarde successfully completed their respective CCRH internship experiences, presenting CHOC's current Palm Springs development before a mock City Council; demonstrating how The Monarch Apartment Homes development is "feasible and an asset to the community."
CHOC COO Maurilio Leon congratulated Ms. Hachiya and Ms. Velarde via Twitter.
CHOC thanks and congratulates Ms. Hachiya and Ms. Velarde on the completion of their CCRH internship experiences, and for ongoing and significant contributions made to CHOC thus far.
CHOC believes affordable housing unleashes new possibilities for people – to achieve better lives for themselves, their families and their communities. In contrast to families who can afford to remain in better economic areas, many hard-working families are forced to “drive until they qualify” for housing they’re able to rent or own. By ensuring diversity throughout our communities, CHOC has long demonstrated itself to be an organization that recognizes the dignity of all families; our affordable housing provides the assistance hard-working families need in order to move beyond what they could do on their own, ensuring their ability – and the ability of future generations – to participate in the American Dream of upward mobility.
CHOC, founded in in 1984, has housed thousands of families throughout the Northern California region, from Davis to Sacramento to Woodland. CHOC’s holistic approach to housing has earned it an award-winning reputation for excellence, both in the design of our buildings and in the sustainable lifestyle our organization brings to communities. CHOC creates equitable communities for individuals, families, seniors and for those with special needs. Our success confirms that affordable housing is key to self-sufficiency and is achievable with enriching, supportive programs that give pride to residents, stabilize families and improve local economies.