Orange County Community Housing Corp

The Orange County Community Housing Corporation's mission is to transition extremely low-income families toward greater self-sufficiency through housing and education.  

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 nearly 50 years of service, thousands of families that have been housed from homelessness by OCCHC, and those continuing to break the cycle of poverty through affordable housing and education.

As we mark our 49th 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 27th year with OCCHC in 2025. 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.”

In 2025, OCCHC provided permanent, affordable housing to over 1,561 individuals earning an average household income of $71,013 in a county where the HUD reported median income at $136,600. OCCHC’s SteppingUP Program continued to assist families struggling to make ends meet through free education while connecting them to resources throughout the community that assist them in continuing on a path to self-sufficiency.

OCCHC/SteppingUP’s Financial Self-Sufficiency component served 1,436 at-risk individuals with 43 FREE bilingual workshops focused on rental counseling, credit repair, spending plans, banking and homeownership while providing 415 one-on-one individualized counseling sessions. Seventy-one first-time homeowners were created as we entered our 7th year as a HUD approved housing counseling agency.

MEET MARIA:
Maria, a single mom of triplets, turned adversity into opportunity when she met OCCHC. Determined to provide for her family, she began her own child care business where she poured her heart into nurturing children, while raising her own. Fueled by her unwavering dedication and support, Maria ’s triplets excelled in their education with one daughter majoring in Chemistry at UCI, another focused on Criminal Justice at CSULB and her son enlisted in the Marines. At OCCHC, Maria received the guidance and support needed to take the next step in securing her business and her future. Maria attended OCCHC’s financial literacy workshops, education workshops and one-on-one counseling that helped her achieve the dream of becoming a homeowner. Our work doesn’t stop there, as Maria sets her sights on expanding her business, our team continues to connect her to resources on protecting her assets and estate planning for her family ’ s future!

SteppingUP's College Access Program (CAP) maintained its commitment to encouraging higher education for at-risk youth since 2006. The program grew from serving 26 students to serving over 600 students & 223 parents in 2025, with 100% of its high school seniors graduating on time and stepping up to college this year with over $1.6 million received in student grants and scholarships. CAP now celebrates 494 alumni and 161college graduates. CAP will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in 2026 where it has remained committed to helping our first-generation youth to not just get to college, but through college and into the workforce securing their futures for generations to come.

MEET OMAR:
In 2025, Omar graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree. Omar’s path to college was shaped by significant responsibility at a young age. During his senior year of high school, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, his mother suffered an injury that prevented her from working. Living in a single-parent, low-income household, Omar made the difficult decision to step away from football during his fourth year on the team so he could work at McDonald’s to help support his family. While balancing work, school, and the college application process, Omar also encountered a financial aid issue that threatened his ability to afford college. Through SteppingUP, Omar received both technical guidance and consistent emotional support. His advisor helped him navigate college applications, resolve financial aid challenges, and successfully transition to college. After enrolling at CSULB, SteppingUP continued to support Omar throughout his college journey, assisting with annual financial aid renewals and connecting him to a paid internship opportunity. With SteppingUP’s guidance, Omar was able to persevere through college while continuing to work and support his household, ultimately earning his degree debt-free and opening new opportunities for himself and his family.

“If I were to state everything my advisor has done for me I would be here all night, so I’ll keep it short. My academic advisor paved the way for me to get financial aid, helped me apply to universities and helped my educational development. Thank you for all the help you have given me throughout the years.” - Omar

With Orange County being the eighth most expensive urban area in the United States according to the 2023 Cost of Living Index, creating accessible and affordable housing is vital to ensure that Orange County’s underserved families have a safe place to call home and the education needed to step up to self-sufficiency. Affordability remains the nation’s largest housing challenge, with our extremely low-income families usually coming to our apartments from tremendously substandard apartments, which have left the family with the need for substantial rehabilitation, socially, financially and educationally. Join OCCHC in making a difference today!

(1) Donate financial contributions for operating support and program services

(2) Sponsor an event

(3) Sponsor a Senior Graduate at CAP's College Kit Drive held March through May

(4) Donate to our Toy Drive to make the holidays a little brighter for underserved youth (November 1 - December 5th)

(5) Sponsor a student in the summer for CAP's Northern California College Tour.

Families served live in OCCHC apartments and surrounding communities scattered throughout Orange County including, but not limited to, Dana Point, Fullerton, Irvine, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Anaheim, Placentia, Huntington Beach and Cypress.

As a former resident of OCCHC who has benefited from housing, mentoring and educational services, I can really relate to what our families go through. Our focus is making our housing a transition, not a permanent stop and education is the tool that will help our families get to that next level. It is with great pride and considerable pleasure that I look forward to OCCHC’s future productivity and service for extremely low-income families.

"What differentiates OCCHC is its genuine approach and interconnection to vulnerable and underserved communities in Orange County, made possible by leadership's lived experiences supporting access to affordable housing, a team of committed housing advocates, and a shared vision to drive economic and financial mobility for LMI families." - Sergio Quero, Board Chair