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RCAC Self-Help Builder News December 2011 Volume 4, Issue 4 >
Art Gonzales & SEWHC of Racine County: 41 years of self-help housing
(Reprinted with permission from NCALL)
In November 2011, Art Gonzales and Southeastern Wisconsin Housing Corporation (SEWHC) of Racine County discontinued their self-help housing program. This decision was not an easy one for the staff and board of SEWHC, but the economy in their area made the program no longer feasible. They are continuing to look for other alternatives that might enable them to provide affordable housing to those in need.
Art helped organize SEWHC in 1970, and has provided affordable housing for 41 years! His staff, Sue Nielsen, Deputy Director and Lanny Esch, construction manager, have also provided outstanding technical assistance to self-help homeowners for 25-30 of those years. Beyond the knowledge and experience Art, Sue and Lanny have shared, we will miss the stellar customer service they continuously provided.
According to Joan and Ann Schenk, sisters that went through SEWHC’s mutual self-help housing program, “We can’t say enough about the staff of SEWHC. There wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for us. They are available when you need them and they know their stuff. The staff can anticipate problems before they happen and they have seen it all before.” Joan Shenk also said, “They made sure we were prepared for what was to come, mentally and emotionally too, not just physically." But still the program was difficult, “We started questioning if we could physically do it. The first weekend I was in tears. I really thought I was in over my head. SEWHC and the staff really brought me through. They have confidence in you when you don’t have it in yourself.”
Another program participant Allison Yorgey also has nothing but positive things to say about Art and the SEWHC staff. “This program was a godsend, but we kept thinking ‘where’s the catch’, because we truly thought that we would be renting forever,” she said. “The great thing about this program is that it is not a hand out. You do have to work hard to get the improvements to your new home done and SEWHC is willing to do what they can to help.”
Art laid the foundation for a life-long commitment to serving people in need at a very young age. His family moved from San Antonio to Wisconsin in 1947 when Art was 10, and he spent his summers working alongside family members and friends in the farm fields of Racine County.
Art grew up on Racine’s south side and, like many inner city kids, dropped out of high school. At age 17, he made what he says proved to be a fateful decision – he joined the Marine Corp. While serving, Art earned his high school GED. He also learned the importance of discipline, pride and leadership. Upon honorable discharge at the age of 20, he spent time volunteering with teenagers from his old neighborhood, and accepted a job with JI Case Company of Racine. In 1967 Art helped found the Racine Spanish Center. One thing led to another and he began helping migrant workers and their families find housing in the area.
In 1970, that avenue led him to help organize SEWHC and he also became its executive director. As its leader, he has orchestrated the construction of over 1,500 units of affordable self-help housing; developed four subdivisions; 50 affordable building sites; and most recently implemented a new version of self-help housing utilizing purchase/repair. SEWHC also built, and currently owns, a 16 unit elderly project in Darien, WI. In total, the organization has assisted more than an astounding 70 percent minority households.
SEWHC has also had an impact on the national housing scene, with Art serving on numerous boards and commissions including: the Director of United Migrant Opportunities Services; the Governor’s Hispanic Advisory Council; the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and past president of the National Rural Housing Coalition, to name a few.
Art occupies a place in his communities for which there have been no predecessors of Hispanic origin. As a “silent hero,” he has spent the majority of his life serving others with little or no recognition.
We at NCALL salute Art Gonzales, Sue Nielsen, Lanny Esch and the SEWHC Board of Directors for their dedication to creating affordable housing, and self-esteem within the hearts and minds of thousands of southeastern Wisconsin residents.
(If you would like to leave a message for Art and the staff of SEWHC, please visit the appropriate section of www.selfhelphousinghub.com.)