Professional Awards and Personal Triumphs- A Meaningful Night at The ICON Awards

Providing affordable housing for those with developmental disabilities hits home- CIC Founder and CEO, Jim Schmid dedicates his award to his beloved 12-year-old granddaughter Avery. (Pictured left to right: Jim Schmid, Janice Patterson, Senior Project Manager at Emmerson Construction, Inc., Executive Director So. Cal. Housing Collaborative, Nathan Schmid and Kursat Misirlioglu, Director of Project Finance for CIC. Front row: Miss Avery Schmid.) 

For Jim Schmid, Founder and CEO of Chelsea Investment Corp., it’s personal and professional. His leadership in developing affordable housing for individuals with developmental disabilities comes from his heart and his head.

When Jim received a standing ovation from the Building Industry Association at the annual ICON awards last month, he was stunned and humbled. He shared that ovation – and an unprecedented Honorable Mention award -- with Independence Point, a modest infill project in San Diego’s Lincoln Park, where 25 of 32 units are set aside for those with a developmental disability.

Jim dedicated that award to his beloved and beautiful 12-year-old granddaughter, Avery, herself afflicted with cerebral palsy. Here’s Avery at the Icon Awards, with an award that hits home for everyone in the Chelsea family.

For more on the “monumental achievement” that is Independence Point, click here.

Making Beautiful Music - Changing Lives Through Affordable Housing

Terrence Patridge and his mother Thérèse Davis in the Community Room at The Landings in Chula Vista.

Last Friday we had the pleasure of meeting Terrence Patridge and his mother Thérèse Davis at The Landings in Chula Vista. The two, who along with Thérèse’s mother, share one of the apartment homes at The Landings, were kind enough to meet with us and discuss how their life has been enhanced since moving in. As a premier builder of affordable housing, we are grateful for the opportunity to share these stories of how peoples’ lives are profoundly changed simply by finding a safe and secure place to live.

The Landings was built as part of an inclusionary requirement and was developed by Chelsea Investment Corporation to provide affordable housing for people in need.

At a very young age, Thérèse’s son Terrence was diagnosed with autism, a diagnosis which can seem devastating to a parent. With the support of his mother and a stable home environment, Terrence is proving that kids with autism can lead productive, independent lives and achieve their dreams. Terrence has been playing trombone since he was a young boy and now plays with orchestras, in theater productions, jazz ensembles and in church. He is able to ride the bus and take the trolley to Mesa College where he is going to school to become a sound engineer. He is currently studying for a certificate in music theory to strengthen his musical foundation and also taking piano as a part of his studies.

During the course of our interview, Terrence and his mom expressed the joys and benefits of their life at The Landings. They explained how Terrence spends his time at home practicing his trombone and piano and also contributing to the care of his “Granny.”  He then treated us to his beautiful rendition of Misty by Erroll Garner

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Thérèse worked with the staff of the Southern California Housing Collaborative and with Chelsea’s property management company to secure an apartment that was served by a common elevator and was ADA-wheelchair accessible with a roll-in shower; a necessity for her mother who at times must depend on her wheelchair. The Landings was built as part of an inclusionary requirement and was developed by Chelsea Investment Corporation to provide affordable housing for people in need.

The Landings' ADA-wheelchair accessible leasing center.

Independence Point - Dignified Housing for Families With Disabilities

"We are very blessed to have found Independence Point." - Jessica Alvarez

At Chelsea Investment Corporation, we are committed to helping families by providing affordable housing for dignified living. One of our more recent undertakings is a newly built community of townhomes in San Diego. Independence Point provides housing for families with a developmentally disabled member and in doing so, helps to improve the quality of life for the entire family.

San Diegan Jessica Alvarez knows what hard times look like. A single mother with two daughters, she and her girls have survived the full range of insecure housing – from homelessness to a tiny one-bedroom rental with black mold and dangerous neighbors. 

Today, Jessica says she is “very blessed” as she tours us through her brand new, three-bedroom apartment at Independence Point, an affordable housing community built through our partnership with the Southern California Housing Collaborative (Housing Collaborative) and the San Diego Housing Commission. Located in Lincoln Park just off Imperial Avenue, Independence Point reserves 25 of 32 townhomes for qualified households with a developmentally disabled member. 

Both comfortable and affordable, 25 of the 32 units at Independence Point are allocated for families with a developmentally disabled member. 

Jessica Alvarez found Independence Point while seeking resources for her six-year-old daughter, Babie, who is on the autism spectrum. Like other Independence Point residents, Jessica's income qualifies her for rent that is discounted from market-rate, increasing the funds she has available for care associated with her daughter's disability. 

Academic improvements for both children were noticeable within weeks of finding secure housing. 

“Both Babie and my teenage daughter have made great improvements in school since we moved here four months ago,” said Jessica, who noted that her older daughter is a high school senior with aspirations to win an academic scholarship at the University of Chicago. Jessica’s three-bedroom townhome includes an attached garage that they’ve converted into a private room for yoga and other healing therapies for Babie.

When basic needs are no longer a worry, families are able to focus more attention on improving both developmentally and academically. We are profoundly honored to be a part of this evolution.