Housing California Community Bus Tour
Farmworker, Rural, and Manufactured Housing
CHOC’s Casa Del Sol, Woodland, CA.
MARCH 5, 2025
Brief history:
The City of Woodland approached CHOC to purchase and redevelop 3 parcels along East Street in Woodland, CA, as a way to complement other improvement efforts identified in the East Street Corridor Specific Plan, which was adopted by the City of Woodland in May 1998.
Casa Del Sol, as named by our tenants, was converted from a blighted property to a revitalized and attractive manufactured home park where its residents, the majority of whom are agricultural and migrant farm workers, enjoy new and improved infrastructure, amenities, and a wide range of social services designed to empower them and enrich their lives.
This 12.6 acre site included the demolition of a substandard residential motel, a vacant single family home, a closed restaurant, and the reconstruction of a manufactured home park to HCD standards. The CDS project’s primary goal was to upgrade the livability and sustainability of these critically-needed, very low income housing units.
The undertaking of the park renovation included replacing the entirety of the then-existing sewer and water and storm drain systems; upgrading the electrical system; installing a gas infrastructure; creating and paving internal roadways, entrances, and parking. The installation of new street lighting and fire hydrants addressed critical safety issues, and the construction of our 5,000 sq ft Community Building, a grassy park area, and laundry facilities further enhanced residents’ quality of life, promoting a stronger sense of community.
The CDS community building’s design combines traditional adobe building materials, reflecting resident’s roots and connection to the earth, with a light, soaring roof representing resident aspirations and a willingness to build better lives for themselves and their families; the design melds the modern with the traditional, creating a unified and balanced structure. A critical component to Casa Del Sol was its JDS Builders Group’s innovative phasing and construction project management, which allowed residents to remain housed on-site during the construction period.
Numbers
This 12.6-acre manufactured home park consists of 30 rental parcels owned and managed by CHOC, 126 owner-occupied parcels, and a manager's unit that occupies 2 parcels
Community Building
The Community Building, supported through RCAC/Agricultural Worker Health and Housing Program, serves as a collaborative health hub; it offers property management, resident services, and community social, educational and wellness events, as well as activities that foster a supportive environment for families. It also features a childcare room, which was formerly used as an Early Head Start preschool program; this room is currently utilized as a reading room for After School Program Tutoring.
Kaboom Playground
The playground in the community, built in May 2009 through KaBoom! with funding from Dr. Pepper Snapple, tackles playspace inequity and supports community-defined goals. CDS resident youth led the design process prior to the build, which was completed in a single day with the help of 200 volunteers from CHOC, KaBoom, and Dr. Pepper Snapple, resulting in a stronger, more connected community.
Professionally managed by Sterling Asset Management Company.
Resident services provided by CHOC Community Impact
Casa Del Sol - Funding Stack
California Bank & Trust — Mortgage ($3.2MM)
HCD — HOME ($2.0MM)
(HOME Investments Partnership Program)
HCD — MPROP ($2.2MM)
(Mobile Home Park Resident Ownership Program)
RCAC — AWHHP ($1.0MM)
(Agricultural Workers Health & Housing Program)
RCAC — Joe Serna ($3.7MM)
(Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program)
California Bank & Trust — AHP ($1.0MM)
(Affordable Housing Program)
City of Woodland — Section 108. ($1.1MM)
(Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program)
City of Woodland — Redevelopment ($1.0MM)
RCAC ($1.1MM)
TOTAL $16.3MM
Casa Del Sol — Fun Facts
General Contractor: JDS Builders Group
Construction began mid-2008
KaBOOM! advanced playground completed May 2009
Final construction completed May 2010.
New rental lease up began in September 2011
Owners rent pad space from CHOC, pay their own utilities
Construction included all underground utilities, sewer, electrical, internal roadways, repaving, street lights and parking
CDS Community Building supported by RCAC (AWHHP)
Thirty (30) manufactured rental homes
126 owner-occupied pads, plus one (1) manager’s unit
Total units: 157
Total acreage: 12.6 acres