Earning some recognition, Visionary Home Builders of California, Inc. (VHB), Stockton’s leading non-profit affordable housing developer, recently received the Residential Development Blueprint Award. The honor was presented through the San Joaquin Valley Regional Planning Agencies and the Central California Chapter of the American Planning Association for the organization’s newest affordable housing community – Grand View Village – located at Miner and San Joaquin streets in downtown Stockton.
The San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Awards program encourages quality planning and development by recognizing outstanding achievements and practices in the built environment. Recognizing and celebrating projects and leadership that reflect the Blueprint principles provides visual examples of attractive, functional, and environmentally friendly projects that could have relevance throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Grand View Village was recognized as a fine example of the principles of the Blueprint Award.
Grand View Village (GVV) offers 75 affordable housing units for households earning between 30 percent and 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). This property features green sustainable design elements including mounted solar, energy efficient appliances, and high efficiency exterior and interior lighting. Additionally, it includes more than 10,000 square feet of commercial and community space for a future grocery store, as well as an on-site Head Start Program and Community Center. Finally, GVV will be offering RTD public transportation vouchers to residents.
GVV is a transit-oriented development, focusing on connecting the residents and surrounding community with employment providers, schools, the Downtown Regional Transit Center, and the Robert J. Cabral Train Station through enhanced transit services, new bicycle paths, and sidewalk improvements.
“We are beyond excited and proud to receive this prestigious award,” stated Carol Ornelas, CEO, Visionary Home Builders. “Grand View Village is a beautiful addition to downtown Stockton, but more importantly, offers affordable housing to the people who work and live in downtown, and midtown Stockton.”
This new residential community serves as the catalyst for other downtown Stockton redevelopment efforts by effectively linking new affordable housing and transportation improvements to neighborhood sports (Stockton Ballpark and Arena), recreation and entertainment (movie theatre, dining, and shops).
Ornelas continued, “We thank the organizations presenting this award, as well as AHSC Program, Bank of Stockton, Federal Home Loan Bank, San Joaquin County Council of Governments, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Enterprise, and San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. It truly takes a village to complete large scale projects, and it certainly rings true with this village - Grand View Village.”
For further information about Grand View Village and Visionary Home Builders, Inc, visit: www.visionaryhomebuilders.org.
Founded in 1983, Visionary Home Builders of California, Inc. (VHB) is a nonprofit housing development company and housing counseling agency based in Stockton, California. It is the leading agency of its kind in the San Joaquin Valley, having built and rehabilitated more than 1,400 units of rental housing and more than 900 residential homes for first time homebuyers within San Joaquin, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Merced counties. VHB has brought more than $700 million dollars in grants and private dollars to develop affordable housing in the valley. In addition, VHB is a HUD approved Housing Counseling Agency.
