Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) is making its third investment in the San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund (HTF).  The San Francisco-based health system, which owns French Hospital, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and Marian Medical Center, is providing an additional $500,000 for the HTF’s revolving loan fund.  The CHW investment will be used exclusively to finance affordable housing projects in San Luis Obispo County. 

“Catholic Healthcare West has a long history of providing capital resources to organizations and community programs that traditionally have a difficult time securing funding,” said French Hospital Medical Center President and CEO Alan Iftiniuk.  “Since 1992, CHW has invested more than $123 million in projects that have resulted in affordable housing, child care centers, community clinics, and other community resources.  This $500,000 investment in the Housing Trust Fund is an example of CHW’s commitment to San Luis Obispo County and the Central Coast.”

The HTF is a nonprofit corporation that was created in 2003 to increase the supply of affordable housing throughout San Luis Obispo County.  Rather than directly develop or own housing, the HTF provides financing and technical assistance to help private developers, nonprofit agencies and local governments produce and preserve housing that working families, seniors on fixed incomes and persons with disabilities can afford to rent or buy. 

Since making its first loan in 2005, the HTF has provided nearly $7 million in financing to help create or preserve 218 units of affordable housing.  During 2010, nearly 30% of all the housing starts in the entire county were projects that the HTF helped finance.  The HTF currently has $6.9 million in its revolving loan fund, including approximately $2.2 million which is available for new loans. 

Additional information on the HTF is available online at www.slochtf.org.