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Valley Vista Affordable Housing for Families Breaks Ground in Clearlake
80 Valley Vista Families will Have a New, Affordable Place to call “Home.”
Rendering Courtesy of Architects ktgy
Clearlake, CA – May 6, 2026 – Carlsbad-based Chelsea Investment Corporation and the City of Clearlake, California, marked the start of a new chapter with the groundbreaking of Valley Vista Family Apartments – a modern, next-generation modular housing community focused on affordability and quality.
Valley Vista is an 80-unit affordable housing development for families, including 20 units set aside for households with a family member who has an intellectual or developmental disability. The development consists of four two-story residential buildings and one community building, with a Tot-Lot and BBQ area. The Valley Vista land became available due to government mandates to identify excess state-owned land and convert it into affordable housing to tackle California’s housing crisis.
California’s Department of General Services’ Director Ana M. Lasso said, “Today marks an exciting new milestone in California’s push to expand affordable housing. This groundbreaking propels us closer to delivering safety, stability, and opportunity for more residents, as we remain unwavering in our commitment to equitable and efficient housing across the state.”
“The real impact of the development is about the 80 families who will call Valley Vista ‘home,’” said Charles Schmid, CEO of Chelsea Investment Corporation. “Half a million dollars may sound like a lot of money – and it is. That’s the total amount these Valley Vista families will collectively save each year through reduced rent. That translates to about $40,000 staying in the community every month, or roughly $500 in monthly rent savings per household.”
On-site supportive services at Valley Vista will be provided by Pacific Southwest Community Development Corporation (PSWCDC), a leading provider of services throughout the State of California. Services will include adult education and skill-building classes such as computer literacy, ESL, art classes, job counseling, financial literacy classes, health, and wellness. All services are on-site and are free of charge to the residents. The families in the 20 Valley Vista units set aside for households with a family member who has an intellectual or developmental disability will be provided supportive services from Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC). RCRC provides intake, assessment, diagnosis, and coordinates community-based services for over 10,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties.
"The sound of shovels never sounded so good! Today — after many years of tireless work from the city, county and state — we started moving dirt on the Valley Vista family apartments. These 80 units will be life changing for hundreds of residents from across the County,” said Senator McGuire. “This project is also inclusive, providing a new home to 20 families living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, paired with critical on-site supportive services. Lake County and the City of Clearlake continue to break ground on projects that lift up neighbors who need help the most.”
“Valley Vista began as an idea exchanged over a slice of pizza with Senator McGuire at Stone Fire Pizza,” said Clearlake Mayor Dirk Slooten. ”Nearly a decade later, that idea is taking shape as reality—thanks to the Senator’s support and the leadership of the Clearlake team.”
Valley Vista was made possible by state funding through TCAC, The Richman Group, Citibank, The City of Clearlake, the HOME Investment Partnership Program, also with the City of Clearlake, IIG, LGMC, and Redwood Coast Regional Center.
About Chelsea Investment Corporation
Since 1984, Chelsea has invested over $3 billion to develop over 15,000 units of affordable housing for populations including low-income seniors and families, farmworkers, individuals at risk for homelessness, and homeless veterans. Chelsea Investment Corporation was named by Affordable Housing Finance Magazine as the top California-based affordable housing developer in 2021. Chelsea’s expertise includes urban infill, mixed-use, suburban inclusionary, renovation, and rural properties. The company is the first in California to deliver affordable apartments set aside for households with a family member who has a developmental disability, such as autism, epilepsy, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy. Chelsea is a fully integrated affordable housing developer and offers turnkey finance, development, general contracting, and property/asset management services. For more information visit: Chelsea Investment Corporation (chelseainvestco.com)