Members of the community celebrated the renovation of the Shotover Inn apartments on Wednesday at 325 Broadway in Hamilton City. While looking for a place that could accommodate people with disabilities, renter Cecilia Valerdi stumbled upon Shotover Inn apartments.
Though she has only lived in the apartments since June, Valerdi said her life has been positively impacted because of the accommodations such as the ramp for wheelchairs attached to the buildings.
Dealing with several health issues including a spine and hip injury, and being diagnosed with colon cancer, Valerdi feels more at ease and is grateful to call Shotover Inn her home.
With the help of Chico’s private nonprofit organization Community Housing Improvement Program, CHIP, Ellis Architect and Tricorp Group construction services, the rehabilitation of the apartment building was made possible.
The cost of the renovations totaled $5.5 million. The initial source of funding for the renovations came from a construction loan from NeighborWorks Capital. CHIP Chief Executive Officer Seana O’Shaughnessy said the California Department of Housing and Community Development provided the $5.5 million for the rehabilitation and Neighborworks Capital provided the construction financing.
The 2024 California Housing Partnership reports that 919 low-income renter households in Glenn County do not have access to affordable homes.
For O’Shaughnessy, the report was alarming, therefore, maintaining and preserving existing affordable housing was crucial, as well as providing resources for families.
“We’re super excited because we’ve been expanding our resident services program,” O’Shaughnessy said.
For Diana Espinoza, Resident Services Coordinator for Shotover Inn, the possibility of providing resources to low-income families resonated deeply as she also grew up in a low-income family.
“It means a lot to me, because my parents came from farm work, and I grew up translating for them in every place we went to,” Espinoza said.
Though Espinoza overlooks 10 different properties, she said she makes sure to organize one-on-one meetings where she provides information on rent assistance, CalFresh, PG&E and other resources to renters.
CHIP said the Shotover Inn was originally a hotel. It has been in Hamilton City for over 100 years and was declared one of California’s points of historical interest in 1983.
Renovations
The 21 units were furnished with a refrigerator, a kitchen range, garbage disposal, central heat and air conditioning and ceiling fans. They also included new cabinetry, appliances, paint jobs and flooring.
Improvements to the building included: new roof, stairwells, walkways, a ramp, an updated laundry room, updated exterior paint job and the addition of another hot water tank. The building site improvements included new courtyard concrete, trash enclosure and sealing and stripping of its parking lot.
O’Shaughnessy said only one unit is open. The other 20 units are being occupied by new or longtime renters.
Senatorial representative Tasha Weaver was also in attendance on behalf of Senator Brian Dahle for District 1.
Weaver was proud of how the location of the apartments promoted and enhanced a sense of community and accessibility. The apartments sit next to a library and park, which Weaver said is something families need.
“It’s something that is absolutely necessary in our communities that are already struggling,” Weaver said.
Elizabeth and Florencio Arreola Perez have lived in the Shotover Inn apartments for around 10 years.
Over these years, the building’s condition and safety was a concern to them. However, with the new renovations the couple is pleased to call home a space that was made safe and accessible to renters.
“We feel more safe, it was a great investment they made,” Florencio said.
Milca Elvira Chacon can be reached at [email protected].
