Orange County Community Housing Corp

The Orange County Community Housing Corporation (OCCHC) was founded in 1977 when members of the League of Women Voters, Orange County Fair Housing Council and County of Orange housing committee came together with a vision to meet the housing needs for the working poor. Today, we celebrate 45+ years of service and thousands of families that have been housed from homelessness by OCCHC and those continuing to break their very own cycle of poverty through affordable housing and education. As we mark our 48th year of service, we remain committed to the vision and values created by our founding members that continue to guide our work today. OCCHC/SteppingUP pursues its mission around the vision of a community in which every working family has decent, affordable housing with the educational opportunities that will assist in bridging the gap of the racial, economic and educational inequities that continue to exist to today. The values and principles guide OCCHC/SteppingUP’s work include: *those who are most vulnerable in society have voices and should be heard; *diversity and inclusivity are essential for creativity and innovation; *the nurturance of individuals and families fosters the growth of healthy communities; *partnerships, collaboration, civic participation are fundamental to improving organizations and institutions, and to assuring sustainable social change; and *the fostering of healthy human development emphasizes prevention over treatment. In 2014, founding Executive Director, Allen Baldwin, congratulated Nora Mendez as OCCHC’s second Executive Director who marked her 25th year with OCCHC in 2023. A former resident of OCCHC, Nora’s family was introduced to our mission when she was 10 and now is a Spark of Hope for our families as she became the first in her family to graduate from college and become a homeowner. Nora shares: “As a former resident of OCCHC who has benefited from its housing, mentoring and educational services, I can truly relate to our families. Our focus in providing housing with education is the tool that assists families in obtaining self-sufficiency. It is with great pride and considerable pleasure that I look forward to OCCHC’s future productivity and service for our extremely low-income families in Orange County.”