Welcome to Catholic Charities Housing Services - Diocese of Yakima

Rural LISC is excited to announce another new Partner in Washington State, the Catholic Charities Housing Services (CCHS) of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima. CCHS is a faith-based, nonprofit corporation that offers locally-based affordable housing solutions to communities in seven Washington counties, including Klickitat, Yakima, Benton, Kittitas, Grant, Chelan and Douglas. CCHS, established in 1998, works with local Catholic parishes, community groups and others sponsors. Together they develop, own and manage a variety of affordable housing developments, including single-family, workforce, senior and special needs housing that serve low-income, vulnerable and underserved populations.

CCHS’ workforce housing provides quality affordable rental housing for farmworkers and their families, such as Reino del Cielo – a farmworker housing community pictured at the left. With units in 17 communities across central Washington, including both seasonal and year-round units, CCHS supports the Diocese of Yakima’s valuable agricultural industry. CCHS also provides affordable rental housing for low-income seniors. Currently, it offers 40 units with ongoing development across the Diocese of Yakima’s service area.

CCHS is at the forefront of incorporating green building elements into its affordable housing projects. There are many ways to build green and CCHS continues to refine its construction methodologies to improve project buildings through increased energy efficiency, longer material life cycles, prudent water management and improved indoor air quality. CCHS aims high with its green standards, and its buildings go above and beyond the International Building Code and the Washington State Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard.

In addition to constructing affordable housing, CCHS is committed to increasing homeownership. Through its "New Life Homes" self-help homeownership program, CCHS is providing lower income, first time home buyers the chance of a lifetime to own their own home at an affordable cost. This program allows families to purchase their home with financing that is proportionate to their income. In addition, it helps them become educated on all the elements of homeownership such as budgeting and home maintenance. Families also work on their homes investing "sweat equity" that further lowers the cost of their home.

As a newly HUD-approved housing counseling agency, CCHS also offers Homebuyer Education programs. CCHS believes that increasing peoples’ knowledge and understanding of credit and banking services, increases their savings, and ability to buy homes and improve their financial health and well-being. The organization partners with other local nonprofit organizations, lenders, real estate agents, title companies, financial institutions and insurance agents to provide homebuyer and financial literacy trainings. These trainings, which include textbooks and learning materials, are free to the public and future homeowners.

Beyond just improving housing and the accessibility of homeownership, CCHS works to build communities. CCHS provides a service-enriched living environment at each of their housing developments where education, self-empowerment and self-sufficiency are promoted to benefit all residents and clients. Resident services range from English classes, civics instruction, and computer training to social events and cultural celebrations to organizing and training active Tenant Associations that help identify additional education and services programs that are needed, and address tenant issues. In addition, CCHS promotes partnerships with local communities, and collaborates and networks with other housing and community development entities as well as advocates for affordable housing and other issues. Through their effort, CCHS helps give voices to the clients they serve at the federal, state and local policy levels. Rural LISC is pleased to support the work of this new Partner!

Photos credit: Catholic Charities Housing Services