SANTA ANA, Calif. (May 17, 2024) – Orange County Community Housing Corporation (OCCHC/SteppingUP) announced that it has received a $1 million grant from Citi Foundation as part of the fourth cohort of the Community Progress Makers initiative. OCCHC/SteppingUP will use the grant to expand its mission, working in the areas of affordable housing and access, economic development and financial health.
With this grant, OCCHC/SteppingUP is joining the fourth cohort of the Community Progress Makers Initiative that was launched by Citi Foundation to provide unrestricted funding to visionary organizations that work locally to connect low-income communities to greater economic opportunity. It was one of nine organizations awarded in Southern California and the only non-profit awarded in Orange County.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Citi Foundation for its incredible generosity and financial support,” said OCCHC/Stepping UP Executive Director, Nora Mendez. “This grant will have a profound impact on our ability to expand our mission.”
As a former OCCHC/SteppingUP resident, Nora is an example to its residents and families as she is the first generation in her family to graduate from college and become a first-time homeowner after growing up as a resident.
Mendez continued by saying “The support of Citi Foundation will enable OCCHC/SteppingUP to expand its programs, reach more individuals in need, and create meaningful change throughout the community.”
“In listening to our nonprofit grantees over the years about what’s really going to make a difference for them, we doubled down on our funding support and the amount of time we’re dedicating to working with these organizations in an effort to scale their impact,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and Head of Citi Community Investing & Development. “Through funding, collaboration and technical assistance, we’re helping accelerate the innovation of visionary nonprofits with the hope of generating solutions that will drive lasting change for low-income communities.”
“This is an inspiring group of community organizations working to improve the lives of underserved communities in Southern California,” said Collene Greenlee, Southern California Marketplace Leader and North America Head of Consumer Products and Retail Industry, Citi Commercial Bank. “Issues like affordable housing, economic development and financial inclusion are pressing and I look forward to seeing how each changemaker leverages the Citi Foundation’s support to extend their reach.”
About Orange County Community Housing Corporation/SteppingUP:
Driven by the vision that every working family should have decent housing and an equal educational environment, Orange County Community Housing Corporation/SteppingUP helps transition extremely low-income families in Orange County to self-sufficiency by assisting them with housing and education.
Established in 1977, OCCHC/SteppingUP began as an independent nonprofit developer of affordable housing units throughout Orange County. Since its founding, OCCHC/SteppingUP has developed over 300 units of affordable housing with assets exceeding $29 million to date. In addition to providing housing to at-risk families, OCCHC’s signature program, SteppingUP, provides free financial literacy training, homebuyer education and college awareness resources to create a holistic approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. Together, OCCHC and its SteppingUP Program has housed thousands of families to date, graduated hundreds of first-generation high schoolers stepping up to college and into the workforce and continues to provide a direct path from homelessness to homeownership.
