Orange County Community Housing

What Orange County Community Housing does

Orange County Community Housing Corporation (OCCHC) is a California-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 and headquartered at 501 N. Golden Circle Drive, Suite 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Its mission is to transition extremely low-income families — those earning approximately 30% of Area Median Income, with an average household income of $30,836 — toward self-sufficiency through an integrated housing-plus-education model. The organization develops, owns, and operates affordable rental housing across nine Orange County municipalities (Anaheim, Garden Grove, Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Buena Park, Cypress, Placentia, and Dana Point), with named properties including Espaira (Irvine), Barton (Huntington Beach), and Buena Clinton (Garden Grove), bringing the cumulative portfolio to 300+ units with assets exceeding $29 million.

OCCHC delivers services under its SteppingUP umbrella brand, which bundles three program lines: (1) HUD-certified housing counseling and homeownership preparation (free in English and Spanish, plus a self-paced $99 eHome Buying online course); (2) the College Awareness Program (CAP), serving 471+ at-risk students annually across 22 high schools and 10 middle schools; and (3) Family Mentoring and Adult Education through Economic Empowerment Specialists. The organization operates with 11-50 employees, a Board of Directors, and an Executive Director (Nora Mendez). Underlying technology is light: a HUD-compliant counseling platform, Calendly-driven appointment scheduling, Eventbrite workshop registration, and a CMS-based website — there is no proprietary AI/ML technology stack.

Revenue mechanics combine three streams: (a) donations and charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, including the 2026 Help Them Home Giving Day coalition with Orange County Community Foundation and 27 partner nonprofits; (b) grants from institutional funders such as the Citi Foundation (fourth cohort of Community), AF Group, Bank of America, O.L. Halsell Foundation, George Hoag Family Foundation, Pacific Western Bank, and Union Bank; and (c) modest program fees from the $99 eHome Buying course. The go-to-market motion is event-driven — Home Buyer Resource Fairs, the Affordable Housing Awards Breakfast, the Westward Home Gala, and 45th Anniversary-style celebrations — supplemented by direct school and shelter partnerships. Free counseling and workshops are the dominant customer-acquisition mechanic; rental occupancy is the structural revenue base.

Name

Orange County Community Housing

Legal name

Orange County Community Housing Corporation

Website

https://occhc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Orange County Community Housing Corporation is a Santa Ana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 that develops, owns, and manages 300+ affordable rental units across nine Orange County cities for extremely low-income families earning roughly 30% of Area Median Income, while delivering HUD-certified housing counseling and the SteppingUP College Awareness and Family Mentoring programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Affordable Housing / Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAM)

Keywords

• Affordable housing development
• HUD housing counseling
• Nonprofit housing programs
• Financial literacy education
• Homelessness prevention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: OCCHC operates as a nonprofit organization relying on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Help Them Home Giving Day campaign collaborates with Orange County Community Foundation and 27 non-profits to raise funds for families facing homelessness.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: The organization receives grants from foundations and corporate partners including Citi Foundation, AF Group, and various financial institutions. Selected for Citi Foundation's fourth cohort of Community as one of 9 SoCal changemakers.
3. Program Fees (eHome Buying Class): Online eHome Buying class available for $99 with option to complete at own pace. Free counseling and workshops provided in both English and Spanish for housing and homeownership services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orange County Community Housing Corporation (OCCHC) develops, owns, and manages permanently affordable rental housing for extremely low-income families (approximately 30% of Area Median Income) across Orange County, while delivering HUD-certified housing counseling, financial literacy education, and homeownership preparation services through its SteppingUP program. The organization has developed over 300 affordable housing units with assets exceeding $29 million and serves families through free English and Spanish counseling, workshops, and the College Awareness Program (CAP) supporting at-risk youth.

Product overview

OCCHC (Orange County Community Housing Corporation) operates as a non-profit affordable housing developer and social services organization offering a unified suite of programs under its SteppingUP umbrella brand. The core offerings include: (1) Affordable Housing Development—owning and managing affordable housing properties for extremely low-income families (30% AMI) in Orange County; (2) SteppingUP Family Programs—including the College Awareness Program (CAP) for at-risk youth, Family Mentoring for adult education, and wrap-around support services; (3) HUD-certified Housing Counseling—providing free financial education, homeownership preparation, rental counseling, and foreclosure prevention in English and Spanish; and (4) an Online eHome Buying Course for self-paced learning. The organization has developed over 300 affordable housing units with assets exceeding $29 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SteppingUP: Signature program of OCCHC that builds upon the continuum of care for at-risk families, including the College Awareness Program (CAP), Family Mentoring, and Adult Education services.

Products and services

• SteppingUP Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of CAP's 38 high school seniors graduated on time and stepped up to college in 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orange County Community FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration during Help Them Home Giving Day campaign with 27 non-profits dedicated to raising over $1.5 million for families facing homelessness.
• Affordable Housing ClearinghousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the annual Affordable Housing Awards Breakfast recognizing affordable housing developers and advocates in Orange County.
• The Kennedy CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the annual Affordable Housing Awards Breakfast advocating and developing affordable housing in Orange County.
• Santa Ana CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted 3rd annual Home Buyer Resource Fair on June 8, 2024. Nominated Executive Director Nora Mendez for California Community College Distinguished Alumni Award.
• Unidos USminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working toward equitable communities. Logo appears among OCCHC supporters.
• City of Santa AnaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Home Buyer Resource Fair providing resources and support for prospective homeowners in Santa Ana.
• 27 Orange County NonprofitsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborating organizations during Help Them Home Giving Day to raise funds for families facing homelessness.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jamboree Housing Corporation: A nonprofit affordable housing developer headquartered in Irvine, CA, that develops and manages affordable and workforce housing across Southern California. Direct comparable in nonprofit status, Orange County footprint, LIHTC-financed multifamily model, and supportive-service integration.
• LINC Housing: Long-standing Southern California nonprofit developing and operating affordable rental housing combined with resident services and counseling. Directly comparable mission, scale, and service-integration model.
• Abode Communities: California-based nonprofit affordable housing developer providing rental homes for low-income families plus onsite services. Comparable as a regionally focused nonprofit combining housing development with social services.
• BRIDGE Housing Corporation: California-focused nonprofit affordable housing developer that develops, owns, and manages multifamily properties serving low-income families. Closely aligned permanent-affordability and supportive-services model across the state.
• National CORE: California nonprofit affordable housing developer (formerly National Community Renaissance) developing and managing affordable rental housing with wraparound services for residents. Directly comparable nonprofit status, multifamily focus, and integrated service model.
• Habitat for Humanity of Orange County: Orange County-based nonprofit focused on affordable homeownership (rather than rentals) for low-income families. Comparable as a local nonprofit addressing housing affordability, with a different (homeownership/land-trust) model.
• A Community of Friends: California nonprofit developing permanent supportive and affordable housing with intensive wraparound services for low-income and formerly homeless populations. Comparable nonprofit housing-plus-services model, though focused on a different sub-population.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Housing: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit affordable housing developers, operating across many states with a deeply integrated supportive-services model. Comparable as a scaled, mission-driven nonprofit landlord with services, though vastly larger in geography and unit count.
• The Related Companies / Related California: National affordable and mixed-income housing developer with substantial California operations, including tax-credit-financed affordable properties with on-site services. Comparable broad affordable housing category but with for-profit, mixed-income scope.

Others

• Affordable Housing Clearinghouse: Orange County-based housing counseling and advocacy organization that co-hosts the annual Affordable Housing Awards Breakfast with OCCHC. Adjacent/ecosystem peer in housing counseling and advocacy rather than direct development competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orange County Community Housing