Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and the City of Pismo Beach recently hosted a grand opening ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of the new Pismo Creek Bungalows at 360 Park Ave.

The new affordable housing project is comprised of 14 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments plus a community room with meeting space, kitchen, and laundry facility. A lottery for the apartments was held Sept. 6 because of the high number of low-income applicants interested in the affordable apartments.


According to Peoples’ President Jeanette Duncan, PSHH had more than 90 applications to rent the affordable apartments. All 14 families are now moved in and enjoying their new apartments. Most are local workers at Pismo Beach area businesses and stores.

The affordable rents are based on household size and income, and can range from $612 to $942 a month. Gas and electricity is paid by the resident; water, sewer and trash costs are paid by the management company.

Eligibility requirements included good credit and rental history, and applicants must meet income limits. Preference was given to households residing or working within Pismo Beach city limits.

The sponsor and developer of the project is Peoples’ Self-Help Housing under the direction of Duncan and board chair Carolyn Johnson. The construction team included construction manager Bill Loar from Peoples’, project architect Leonard Grant, civil engineer Tim Walters and landscape designer Lief McKay, all from RRM Design Group of San Luis Obispo. The interior designer was Adele Rosen.

Financing was provided by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the City of Pismo Beach, the Pismo Beach Redevelopment Agency, Merritt Community Capital Corp. and Wells Fargo Bank.

PSHH is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide affordable housing and programs leading to self-sufficiency for low-income families, seniors, and other special needs groups on California’s Central Coast. Since its establishment in 1970, PSHH has created more than 1,150 self-help homeownership opportunities and has built more than 1,350 affordable rental units in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

— Rochelle Rose is the fund development director for Peoples’ Self-Help Housing.