"We've waited and worked...Now it's finally happening!" Meet the Pacheos.

“Our first home was almost overrun by cockroaches and rats. We battled them constantly, and we finally needed to leave. It was just so exhausting. Then we moved to another apartment, but the situation with tenants was really bad. We became the managers because the owners couldn’t manage their tenants, and the tenants were terrible and destructive. We cleaned and painted the buildings, took care of things, so the owners made us the managers.

We took care of the trees and the lawn. We took ownership, but some of our neighbors wouldn’t take responsibility so we had to leave.

Then came Hollywood Palms, when we moved here, it was glorious, like a dream,” they both laughed. “We couldn’t believe how clean it was, how good the management was to us. When you call Ms. Peaches or Ms. Rickie, they always pick up the phone. They always want to say hello, give us hugs, and encourage us. They’re always like that to everyone.”

It’s good to hear our residents speak fondly of their time here. It’s encouraging to know they’ve had a good experience, but today we’re celebrating something much bigger than that: Leo and Zeline recently bought a house!

Have a LOT of hard work and dedication, they’re leaving renting and affordable housing behind.

“We have waited and worked for nine years for find a home we could buy, and it’s finally happening,” Leo shared. “I drove buses and now work in security and my wife works in education as an advocate for kids, to help keep them in school. We’ve worked hard, and now it’s finally happening!”

As our housing team often says: affordable housing shouldn’t be a long-term solution. In the short term, people need a fairly priced place to live, but we hope people will find other options and be able to make space for the next family who needs it. Today, the Pacheo’s are moving on, making room for another family, and fulfilling their dream—we honor and celebrate them!

Before saying goodbye, Leo said, “When we moved into Hollywood Palms, we decided as a family that it was the last place we would rent…it’s hard to buy a house in San Diego, but if you are disciplined and work hard and save, it’s possible.”