COMMUNITY PLANNING & HOUSING DIVISION

The Community Planning and Housing Division was created to build community and promote social and economic investment in the Chinatown community. In its community economic development work, CSC is guided by a vision to: 1) Create sustainable affordable housing and services to improve residents’ quality of life 2) Foster neighborhood programs that will lead to economic self sufficiency; and 3) Build community by enhancing the community’s assets and resources while respecting the social and physical environment.

Chinatown is a low-income community with a disproportionately large population of renters. Because of overcrowded housing conditions and the lack of affordable housing in Chinatown, CSC completed its first affordable housing development, Casanova Gardens in 1999. It contains 27 units of low income apartment units. CSC’s newest housing project, Cesar Chavez Gardens, was completed in May 2003 with 47 low income apartment units and a child care center.