My weekly routine (for the past six months) includes a weekly 2:00 pm trip to Sun Valley, CA. to make a 3pm-4pm meeting. But what is in the Valley that I religiously visit, you ask?
It is Sun Valley Senior Veterans Apartments (aka SVSV) and also my first construction project. 96-units of housing for homeless senior veterans, all from scratch.
ELACC had already purchased the property and received some of its funding when I came in to the picture as a Project Manager in early 2016. I took on the project and was able to secure the additional 70% of its funding required to start construction. In the process, I also had to bring in a new architect, select a contractor and do the leg work to obtain a construction loan (with the assistance of other amazing Latina Assistant Project Managers).
Last December, I spent my Christmas break in my office at 1st/Boyle trying to close a construction loan in the midst of tax changes that were introduced post-Trump. These changes would have forced us to pull our Bond Proceeds in order to not lose funding before year-end. Two days before the New Year, these changes did not pass and I finally got to spend some quality time with my family.
We finally closed our loan late January/early February after the break. We started construction immediately after. However, construction didn’t speed up until April of this year, hence I did not have to drive-up to see a pile of dirt for a long time.
It’s now been close to 6 months and there are still challenges every week. Whether is the type of window ratings required which need to be approved by the City. Value Engineering which means figuring out ways to reduce/manage cost (sometimes by losing architectural design features or using lower costs of materials/fixtures “aka lower-quality”. There is always something new to learn and to be challenged by.
My work as Project Manager MAINLY includes managing costs and making sure the project is on schedule. I do this by making sure our general contractor and most of our consultants get paid by processing Draw Payments based on Construction Payment Applications or “PayApps”. This process has to be meticulously completed as it requires approvals from our lenders and any mistake can cause payments be delayed. The actual construction work also needs to be verified completed to the satisfaction of city inspectors and/or consultants.
My weekly meeting includes reviewing a prepared package which serves as a guide to check on progress and ask questions relevant to the construction activities currently going on or the ones on the critical path. Often these meetings are also to answer questions by other members of the development team on behalf of the owner.
I try to photograph progress as often as I can. Below are some of my progress pictures.
Construction is scheduled to finish by the end of next Summer and by early November 2019, 96 senior/veterans will be housed and off the streets… many for the first time in a long time. …and that is what it’s all about. The residents will be able to afford their one and two-bedroom apartments via rental subsidies (which mean rent is based on 30% of their income – whatever that income is). The property will have 2 elevators, laundry rooms, exercise room, library and community room. Residents will receive tenant services including case management.
In addition, residents will also receive bus passes and a shuttle will be available to transport residents to the local Metro Orange line and Metrolink thanks to a grant provided by the State of California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities “AHSC” Program.
Over the past two years I feel I have done most of my learning in this field thanks to SVSV. I have learned a lot about proformas “financial modeling” and construction (although not an expert by any means). The lessons I can take credit for are those in which I have learned about myself.
- Acknowledging that I don’t know everything (being a Virgo this has been the most difficult). I’ve learned to trust my consultants when I don’t know something and that they are here to help me even when things may seem silly.
- Become more comfortable to make demands to my team including consultants, sometimes lenders and government staff (for the better of my project and the organization ). As a 5′ tall, Mexicana with sometimes broken English this has been difficult for me for my own insecurities. However; when I’ve been in that space, I do it with respect and kindness understanding that I have been put in this position to hold others accountable for the project’s progress.
- Even when I personally don’t believe in war (or physical violence of any kind), war Veterans are some of the most deserving individuals for putting their lives (and their families) at risk on our behalf. Therefore they deserve to be cared for. To start, by providing affordable housing opportunities everywhere in the County or wherever they chose to live.
This is it for now. More on the progress of Sun Valley in the upcoming weeks.
For now, please look out on the links below that will be crucial to increase affordable housing opportunities in the coming years. Vote YES on Prop 1, 2 and 10.
La Casita de La Jackie 