Santa Cruz Community Housing

SQA Online Resource Center

Award Recipient Post-Visit Report

Organization name: Santa Cruz Community Housing Corporation

Street Address: 105 Locust Street, Suite 202

City: Santa Cruz Zip code: 95060 Central phone: 423-1318

Name of person submitting the application: Arnie Fischman / Tom Lauderbach

Title: Executive Director Phone: 423-1318 Fax: 423-4564

Site visit coordinator: Same

Product or service: Development of low-income resident controlled housing and business incubator (business development services)

Number of employees: 12

Category: Non-profit organization Criteria Areas: All four Final Score: TBD

The following report completes the site visit and evaluation process for the 1994 Sustainable Business Quality Awards. We would like your permission to use the commentary on the first page in SBQA advertising, public relations, and press annoucements. The second page contains feedback for your eyes only. We accept corrections and clarification to the information provided on either page in writing or by telephone no later than 5:00 pm, 1/10/95. After that date, the information contained herein will be considered complete and correct and available for distribution.

Congratulations and thank you for participating in the 1994 SBQA process.

Since 1986, Santa Cruz Community Housing Corporation mission has been "to work with people to create community."

I Leadership

Santa Cruz Community Housing Corporation (CHC) takes a leadership role in providing affordable housing and economic opportunities for low-income Santa Cruz residents. Each limited-equity housing cooperative acts as separate non-profit corporations, operating more and more independently of CHC over time. Their assistance programs use coaching and practical skills training to assist residents in creating self-governing communities. This "empowerment" approach provides negotiation, management and team-building skills to help develop solid, productive coop managers and citizens.

Internally, CHC uses a full-participation team culture, where the role of "leader" goes beyond the normal scope of their job.

II Human and Community Relations

CHC’s entire purpose is to be of service to the community -- they create affordable housing and self-governing, democratic communities that provide services which promote health and well-being. In the greater Santa Cruz area, CHC’s services contribute greatly to making Santa Cruz a better and more viable place to live.

Their business incubator program, now in it’s third year of operation, provides start-up entrepreneurs with the skills to start and operate their own businesses. They receive assistance developign a business plan which gives them access to funding so that they can launch their venture.

CHC has a process for empowering employees and building high-function work teams to develop a "collaborative workplace." Employee loyalty runs deep.

III Continuous Improvement and Economic Development

CHC is building a learning organization where problems are seen as opportunities for growth and improvement. CHC’s approach to continuous improvement through quality displines continues to unfold.

IV Environmental Stewardship

Since their beginning in 1986, CHC actively promotes all available recycling and water conservation programs. Environmental stewardship is demonstrated through ecological landscaping (drought tolerant "xeriscaping" and efforts to conserve water), community education on full use of the Santa Cruz Recycling and household Water Conservation Programs. In the CHC office, they make 2-sided copies exclusively (use of both sides of paper), they use the office waste recycling program, and most employees use alternative transportation to get to work.

CHC bought the old Parks and Recreation building from the city (for $1), moved it to another site and renovated it. This saved both money and raw materials while preserving the historical significance of this interesting structure.