At the beginning of this year at the Riverview Estates project in Hollister, a simple marker saying “Lot 16” pounded into the muddy ground was the only indication of where the Avila home would be built. On Oct. 16, during an open house for the 24 families building their own homes at the site, enough progress was made for children to start arguing over who got which bedroom in their soon-to-be-finished home.
For these children, who are usually not allowed on the construction site, it was a chance to see where they will be living when the construction on the first 12 homes is completed.
“My kids are really excited and they are ready to move in,” said Sarah Avila. “They all want the master bedroom. The hardest part of this work has been not having the weekends to spend with the kids. Especially during the summer, they felt like they did not do anything fun. It has been a sacrifice for us, but I think it has been worth it.”
Andrea Avila-Ayala is working with her parents Maria and Jose to build their house, with help from her sister Lisette, who travels from Sacramento every Thursday by train. She reflected on how far she has come since her first day on the site in January when she was introduced to the tools she would be using.
“When I was first interviewed by BenitoLink, my lot was just dirt,” she said. “Today, we installed the last three windows, and once we are done with the outside of the houses, the contractors will come in and do the electrical work and install the cabinets and sheetrock. After that, painting, and then we will have our houses.”
The original projections were for the first half of the project to be completed by the end of the year, but rainy weather stalled the start of construction. Now, barring unforeseen circumstances, the families are on track to get their front door keys by the end of February 2023.
“A lot of us were hoping for December, so we could have Christmas and start the year in our new houses,” she said. “But we are still excited to receive it in February because it is still amazing.”
Like all the participants in the project, Avila-Ayala came to work without construction experience and has had to learn quickly. The work will come in handy as she moves toward a career as a mechanical engineer.
“I have done a little bit of everything: worked on framing, put in windows, done the insulation, been up on the roof,” she said. “Now I have all this experience under my belt, learning about measurements and things, and I am going to need that later on in my studies. Getting all of this behind me is going to help.”
Project manager Bobby Ruvalcaba, who helped teach the families the complexities of carpentry, said the progress has been fantastic.
“These people amaze me every day,” he said. “We are going to start frame inspections on the first group of houses so we can start getting the insulation and sheetrock going. The doors and garage doors are in motion, and the windows are being installed. And group two is following right behind them.”
The second group of families began their work in the first week of June, and eight of their houses have already been framed on concrete foundations, with four left to go. All 24 families have just gotten a boost from Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE), which funds energy programs intended to lower greenhouse gasses: a $2,500 grant for each house which will be used to strengthen the electrical system of the development to allow for all-electric heating and cooking.
Founded in 2020, CECE’s New Construction Electrification Program has funded electrical upgrades for more than 1,500 affordable housing units at similar sites.
“Our agency donated $60,000 to see that the homes would be using only electric technology,” said Catherine Stedman, communications director for CCCE. “What that does is reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and improve the air quality inside the home. It is part of our overall goal to get to 100% clean and renewable energy in this region. That will take time, and this project is a climate leader in that effort.”
According to Community Services Development Corporation Executive Director Sonny Flores, the grant was applied for during the subdivision construction phase and has already been applied to the price of the homes. The grant funds were received this month.
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