Ribbon Cutting at New Affordable Housing in Salinas, California

HUD's Melina Whitehead shares a light moment (left to right) with former Secretary Leon Panetta, Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter and UCLA Professor Fernando Torres-Gil

The agricultural-based community of Salinas, California, and special guests came together to dedicate a new 46-unit multifamily affordable housing for low income families called 2 Haciendas Place. The January 31st event included formal remarks by Leon Panetta, Chairman of the Panetta Institute and the 23rd U.S. Secretary of Defense; Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter; Alec Arago, District Director for U.S. Congressman Sam Farr; Melina Whitehead, HUD Region IX PIH Division Director; and Professor Fernando Torres-Gil, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) and a former Haciendas resident.

The program also included a resident representative who is an Afghanistan war veteran who told the audience that he became homeless upon returning from the war. The veteran expressed his appreciation for the affordable housing made possible by his HUD-VASH voucher.

2 Haciendas Place is the second of a multi-phase project to replace the deteriorating public housing units currently on the site. The affordable housing was made possible due to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, HOME program via the Salinas CDBG funds and the Project-Based Housing Choice Vouchers.

Contact Gene Gibson (gene.p.gibson@hud.gov)

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