Renovation Projects

We work with non-profit housing providers in our community to help them provide quality housing and safe environments for their residents. Drawing upon the expertise and resources within the multi-family industry, including in-kind donations of material and labor, HIF is able to make complete renovations and improvements at significantly reduced costs from what other organizations can procure on their own. Our projects have ranged from providing a few needed furnishings to major renovations of buildings and landscaping. Many of our supporters and board members provide these services pro bono.

It has been our experience that the vast majority of shelters and non-profit housing providers in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties lack the funds, expertise and staff to renovate their facilities beyond routine maintenance and HIF fills this very important role. Basically, we can do more for less. Groups we have assisted with our rehabilitation projects include homeless veterans, women in recovery, victims of domestic violence, seniors, single adults and families. Since inception, HIF has leveraged $1M cash with $1.3M in-kind dollars completing 74 renovation projects to improve the quality of life for 49 nonprofit shelter facilities.

Workforce Supportive Housing Program

First Christian Church in downtown San Jose and Downtown Streets Team joined forces, their vision was to create a program at the church where chronically homeless adults could acquire the skills and resources they needed to find permanent housing and jobs. Together they started the Workforce Supportive Housing program.  Many thanks to Aquatek Plumbing, Brook Furniture, Cambridge Management Company, Cort Furniture, Dick’s Carpet One, Empire Community Painting, Floormasters, IBI, Kelly-Moore Paint Co., Medallion Landscape Maintenance, New Century Hardwood Floors Co., Platinum Roofing, Regency General Contractors and Shaw Industries for their significant contributions to this project.

Moving from vision to reality was no easy feat and the Housing Industry Foundation (HIF) is proud to have played a significant role.  With the help of several corporate partners volunteers, HIF refinished the hardwood floors in the old classrooms, upgraded four bathrooms, painted and replaced the flooring, as well as other cosmetic improvements to the hallways and downstairs meeting room.  Then to give the church a more polished look from the outside, HIF upgraded all of the landscaping.  HIF also made repairs to the roof and added a drain to prevent future water damage.

Dana Bainbridge, Minister from the First Christian Church graciously thanked HIF for “pulling up their sleeves” to improve the function and quality of the church.  View the entire Thank You Letter here.

This project would have cost the church approximately $36,000, but HIF spent only $6K with the remainder donated gratis by our board and our corporate donors.  Just another example of how HIF can leverage a 6-to-1 ratio to benefit a non-profit housing provider.

 

Valley Village Retirement Community

Valley Village offers low-cost retirement living to 300 senior households.  The facility receives no government subsidy and it is a challenge to carry-out all of the required maintenance and improvements and still keep the rent affordable.  As a Corporate Champion, Prometheus Real Estate Group helped HIF complete this project by making a financial contribution, providing 23 volunteers for a workday and securing considerable in-kind donations from various contractors.  Life is better when you have a nice place to live.  The 340 seniors at Valley Village now have a refurbished lounge and reception area with new carpet, paint, counter and furniture.  The re-landscaped corner entrance to the property sports new shrubs and flowers offering a welcoming appearance to the property. Thank you to all of the contributors to this project: Avery Construction, AAA Gardening, Braddock & Logan, Brook Furniture, Colour Studio, Cort Furniture, Empire Painting, Floormasters, JMI, Kelly-Moore, Richard McPherson, Architect, Mohawk Industries, Prometheus Real Estate Group and Via Tree Service. The total value of work completed was in excess of $58,000 with HIF spending only $4,000.

 

Senior Housing Solutions Price Avenue

Price Avenue is the 13th home owned and operated by Senior Housing Solutions as shared housing for low-income seniors, charging no more than 30% of their income as rent. SHS remodeled this fixer upper house to increase the number of bedrooms to five and to make the common area suitable for seniors.  HIF totally landscaped the back yard and spruced up the front, repaired the roof and provided the appliances.  Thanks to TruGreen LandCare, Platinum Roofing and Whirlpool Appliances HIF was able to complete this project, valued at almost $19,000 for less than $3,000.

 

Teen Challenge Asbury Family Center

Teen Challenge’s Asbury Family Center provides transitional housing and a recovery program for families suffering from life-controlling issues such as drug or alcohol abuse.  This program truly changes lives.  The thirteen one-bedroom apartments are occupied by families in various stages of recovery, moving from a controlled residential environment to an internship and then transitional housing.  With tremendous help from ValleyCrest Landscape, HIF completed Phase I of the project in August, 2011.  A group of 23 volunteers consisting of HIF board members, Teen Challenge residents and other friends of HIF worked along side the ValleyCrest Team to revitalize the deteriorated landscaping and repair the broken down irrigation system.  ValleyCrest donated all of the landscaping material and labor, which is value at $6,540.  HIF also contriubted a portion of the cost of upgrading the water lines to the water heats in the units to comply with code requirements and safety standards.

 

Haven Family House

Haven Family House, located in Menlo Park, is a transitional housing program from families operated by Shelter Network of San Mateo County.  The facility includes 24 private apartments where families live for up to four months while recovering from homelessness and acquiring the resources necessary to live independently, again.  The program assists the residents with safe, clean and modern shelter, nutritious food, comprehensive counseling services, programs for children, and job and housing searches.  Shelter Network told us that their greatest needs were for a small cottage to be used as a children’s therapy room and upgraded landscaping.  HIF organized a project to provide both of these needed items.  Prometheus Real Estate Group, as a Corporate Champion sponsor, Regency General Contractors, Medallion Landscape, Draeger Construction Company, Brook Furniture, Pacific Sheds and numerous other companies participated, providing volunteers and in-kind labor and materials.  Valued at $18,000, this project cost HIF less than $500 out-of-pocket.