As Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust (ICLT), I’m proud to announce that we have been honored with the “No Place Like Home” award during the 8th Annual Housing Partner Appreciation Event hosted by Families Forward.

ICLT’s Parc Derian, which provided 80 new units of housing for working families, veterans, and special-needs residents of Irvine, was celebrated for providing access to stabilized housing for qualifying low-income families.

Located in the Irvine Business Complex and developed on a 2.2- acre urban infill site, Parc Derian beautiful multifamily four-story community with a pool, tot lot, private parking, exercise center, computer lab, and onsite resident services. Featuring contemporary architecture that incorporates urban inspired elements and finishes, it is also environmentally conscious and designed to achieve a LEED Gold certification.

Intended to bring employees closer to work, it is a short walk to many jobs as well as Irvine Unified Schools, public transportation, dining and shopping options. Apartments range from one- to three bedrooms and include walk-in closets, energy-efficient appliances, assigned parking and balconies.

Parc Derian is the result of a public/private partnership between the Irvine Community Land Trust, C&C Development, Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO), Lennar Corporation, and the City of Irvine.

Finding solutions to the housing and homelessness crisis has been a priority for me, both as a member of the Irvine City Council and as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust.  Irvine has been a model in this area and the Land Trust concept, now being adopted by Orange County and many other cities, is something that Irvine has pioneered.  No other city has a Land Trust like we have, and other cities are working to copy ours.

As ICLT Executive Director Mark Asturias has stated, “Parc Derian is an excellent example of public-private partnerships working creatively to provide affordable housing for Irvine’s workforce. Every family and individual deserves the ability to afford a home in their community. Parc Derian is a tremendous accomplishment for all the partners involved and for the Irvine community. It demonstrates how a city can partner with a home-grown nonprofit such as the Land Trust and developers to bring permanently affordable housing into the community. By providing homes people can afford, they commute less, spend more time with their family, and give back to the community they live in. Irvine is stronger with affordable housing.”

Nonprofit organizations like the Irvine Community Land Trust that work to create more affordable housing are often under attack from NIMBY groups.  That’s one of the reasons why I’m so delighted to see our work recognized by those whose mission is to provide affordable housing for those in need.

I look forward to working with the Irvine Community Land Trust, community partners such as Families Forward, and community-minded businesses in the private sector to continue to provide more permanent, affordable housing for veterans, disabled persons, and working families.