Where: Westminster, Colorado
Problem: CRHDC sought to expand its services to the state’s southeast corner to provide homeownership opportunities to low-income residents
Solution: RCAC helps CRHDC under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) Mutual Self-Help Housing Program

During the past 40 years, CRHDC has helped more than 1,600 families build their homes in 30 different Colorado counties through the USDA Mutual Self-Help Housing program. And, although CRHDC already successfully develops affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families, the organization also sought to expand into the remote Trinidad area in the state’s southeast corner.

In 2001, with RCAC’s Mutual Self-Help Housing program expertise, CRHDC successfully assisted 20 families in the Trinidad area secure lots and build their dream homes. The agency was approached again in 2012 to build another 10 homes in the area. This year will mark the 50,000th self-help home to be built across the nation and CRHDC hopes that the landmark house is one of the homes in its Alamosa, Colorado project that is under construction now.

According to executive director, Al Gold, “We are proud of the work we have done over the past forty years, and we are looking forward to furthering our mission throughout Colorado for the next forty years.”
In the USDA RD self-help housing program, each self-help household contributes at least 30 hours a week of labor to build their home and their neighbors’ homes. Their labor becomes the down payment, known as “sweat equity.”

USDA RD provides funding to local nonprofit agencies to implement the Mutual Self-Help Housing program and contracts with RCAC to provide local organizations with program support, management reviews and one-on-one customized training to ensure that self-help housing agencies are successful. RCAC works with CRHDC to strengthen all aspects of its self-help housing program, from recruiting families to financial management systems.