Chico News & Review

Chico News & Review

Become a Monthly Supporter Best of Chico On Stands Now!
  • News
    • Local Government
  • Arts & Culture
    • Arts DEVO
    • Art
    • Film
    • Food
    • Music
    • Theater
  • Opinions
    • Second & Flume
    • The Goods
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Street Talk
    • Community Essays
    • Editor’s note
  • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Stories
    • COVID-19 Updates
  • Wildfire
    • Wildfire Updates
    • Wildfire Stories
    • Camp Fire
  • Calendar
  • More
    • Spotlight
    • Best of Chico
    • CN&R Print Archives
    • Wildfire Stories
    • Guides
    • Local Dining
    • Discover Butte County
    • Contact Us
  • Sign up for the newsletter
  • Become a supporter
  • ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP
  • Contact Us
Hot Topics
  • [ March 20, 2023 ] No California salmon News
  • [ March 16, 2023 ] California storms create water paradox News
  • [ March 14, 2023 ] California considers right to vote for incarcerated News
  • [ March 8, 2023 ] Bullet train costs soar News
  • [ March 1, 2023 ] Journey to the other side of the park News
Spotlight

Learn how Chico’s Community Housing Improvement Program gives people the opportunity to build their own home—from the ground up

June 21, 2022 Anne Stokes Comments Off on Learn how Chico’s Community Housing Improvement Program gives people the opportunity to build their own home—from the ground up
Jennifer Palafox and her husband Hector Rubio feel their new home provides a secure future for their children, pictured here with the family pets. Photo by Michelle Camy
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on RedditShare on PinterestShare on Linkedin

Owning a home is the crown jewel in the American Dream. Particularly in California’s current housing market, however, home ownership is increasingly out of reach for many families.

But for those willing to put in the work, CHIP’s Self-Help Program can help make that dream a reality.

“We had always thought we were going to save up, but there’s just nothing out in the market for anything cheap nowadays. Every year, you think, ‘I’m going to save up,’ and the prices just go up,” says homeowner Jennifer Palafox. “Especially after the fires. … Before the fires happened, there was plenty of real estate, but after, there was nothing.”

Hector Rubio and Jennifer Palafox,
with their children, in front of their new home.
Photo by Michelle Camy

CHIP’s program offers qualified first-time homebuyers like Palafox and her husband, Hector Rubio, the opportunity and support to build their own home. In lieu of a down payment, participants pay in “sweat equity,” building not just their house, but helping their new neighbors build their homes too. In December 2021, Palafox, Rubio and their three children were able to move into their new home after renting for 11 years.

“It’s really enjoyable when you start from the ground [up] and you build your own house. In the end you feel a lot of pride, all the work that’s gone in, and not just into your home, but everyone’s home that you helped build,” Rubio says. “When you’re all done, if you talk to most of the people, they’ll tell you they’re happy they built it and they’re proud they did it. Not that many people now can say they’ve built their own house.”

And it’s not just houses that get built. For new homeowner David Gonzalez Jr., the most rewarding part of the program was building a new community.

“The whole process was building a really strong foundation for a great community,” Gonzalez says. “I have a great relationship with my neighbors. Building together, that’s what helped that.”

For Palafox, however, the most important foundation they created was her family’s future.

“You want your house to stand for a hundred years and leave a legacy for your kids if you decide to pass it down. It’s not a rental home, you want to make it a home, and that’s what we were able to do with this group,” she says. “I think that’s the end goal for everybody, to be able to have a house they can come home to and know, ‘That’s mine. That’s going to be for my kids’ future and they know they’ll always have a safe home to come to.’”

For more information on CHIP’s Self Help Program, visit online at https://chiphousing.org/ or call 1-888-912-4663.

  • CHIP
  • Housing

Our content is free, but not free to produce

If you value our local news, arts and entertainment coverage, become an CN&R supporter with a one-time or recurring donation. Help us keep our reporters at work, bringing you the stories that need to be told.

Donate to CN&R

$36,907 of $6,000 raised
$
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $10.00 Monthly

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on RedditShare on PinterestShare on Linkedin

These donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit fund, the Independent Journalism Fund, please click here.

About the Sponsor

Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)
We believe in housing that is affordable for all. CHIP is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation serving Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Sutter, Yuba and Colusa counties. We assist low-income and rural disadvantaged residents, seniors and others who lack financial resources or knowledge to improve or provide adequately for their housing. Our organization has built more than 2,600 housing units in our seven-county service area and is acknowledged as an innovator and leader in rural housing issues.

Meet the sponsors

  • Butte County Public Works
    Butte County Public Works

    published 8 articles

  • Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)
    Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)

    published 9 articles

Our Sponsors

Butte County Public Works Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)

Categories

Tags

arts Best of Chico Blue Room Theatre Butte County Butte County Public Health Butte County Supervisors California california drought Camp Fire Chico Chico arts Chico City Council Chico music Chico music scene Chico Performances Chico Police Department Chico State City Council city manager City of Chico Climate Change coronavirus Covid-19 Doug LaMalfa drought Enloe Medical Center Environment farming George Floyd Health homeless encampments Homelessness Housing letters to the editor Mark Orme Museum of Northern California Art music Pandemic PG&E police brutality Recycling redistricting Vaccine wildfire wildfires
Newsletter

Stay Updated

For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
We'll tell you the story behind the story.

Sign me up!
Links
  • CN&R Archives
  • CN&R Guides
  • Best of Chico
  • Discover Butte County
  • RSS
  • Calendar
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Contact Us
Become a supporter
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on YouTube
Categories
Archives

©2020 Chico News & Review