Welcome New Community Partner: Hacienda CDC
On November 19th, our Portfolio Management Team approved a partnership proposal that was collaboratively developed by an SVP Investment Team and Hacienda Community Development Corporation (Hacienda CDC), making the organization our 12th Community Partner this year.
Hacienda CDC was formed in 1986 to provide necessary housing and supportive services in a low-income, predominantly-Latino community. At that time, NE Portland’s Cully neighborhood was home to the largest Latino population in Oregon. Since then, Hacienda CDC has built or renovated nine low-income housing properties providing 381 safe and stable housing units and homes for more than 1500 individuals in North Portland and Molalla.
Hacienda CDC has expanded its reach with programs in economic development, homeownership support, and Youth & Family programs, all of which are offered to both its residents and the broader community. They have grown to become Oregon’s largest Latino-led, Latino-serving housing organization and are highly respected within the community.
Hacienda CDC has two new projects underway. One is the highly-publicized Las Adelitas project, which is the former site of the Sugar Shack. The site will provide 141 units of affordable housing. The second, Rockwood 10, will be their first development in Gresham and built in concert with community development partners. It will include 220 affordable homes surrounding a community park and community center.
These two new developments provide an opportunity for Hacienda CDC to significantly expand their Youth & Family programs, specifically their Portland Niños early childhood development program. Portland Niños aims to reduce academic and health disparities among Latino children by providing support for families with children from birth to age 5. Parents participate in weekly parenting support groups, educational workshops, and monthly home visits from Hacienda’s Early Childhood Educators to monitor child health and development.
Utilizing the space available in their new housing developments, Hacienda is seeking to expand their capacity to support more families and children in their Portland Niños program. This aligns well with SVP Portland’s focus on early childhood education and provides a unique opportunity to gain experience having preschool environments connected to residential locations. Hacienda CDC is excited about the opportunity to work with us and gain assistance in the capacity building necessary to fulfill their vision.
Hacienda’s Chief Executive Officer, Ernesto Fonseca, shared: “We are grateful for the trust, engagement and support of SVP Portland. This partnership will help us deliver more progress to all that we serve.”
Lead SVP Partner, Chris Hart, is excited to launch the new partnership with an organizational capacity assessment that will inform our work with Hacienda in 2021. Areas of focus for our work together include: building effective programmatic partnerships, potential funding models, program data management, HR and financial systems evaluation, communications strategy, and Board development.