Dear Friends,
Century originally thought 2020 would be a memorable year because we were to celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a festive gala honoring a quarter century of our good works. Instead, as John Lennon once sang: “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” With massive wildfires, a summer of civil unrest, intractable governmental discord, and a deadly global pandemic, 2020 was, perhaps, a bit too memorable. Notwithstanding these social and political tremors, Century successfully continued its mission to finance, build and operate exceptional affordable housing so that the people we serve may have a dignified home, a healthy and hopeful future and attain economic independence.
Although the following metrics for 2020 cannot, of course, reflect the true nature of Century’s significant social, emotional, and financial impact on the tens of thousands of people that we serve each year, it is clear that Century makes a difference in the lives of many of our most vulnerable community members.
871 affordable apartment homes under management
3,241 residents in Century-operated communities
$208 million of affordable housing loan originations
Financed 4,544 affordable homes
Generated 4,421 new construction jobs
These impacts reflect the tremendous resiliency of Century staff who pivoted rapidly during the pandemic to continue our lending program, develop new affordable housing, provide supportive services, practice community engagement and offer property management services without interruption. Both in person and remotely, we addressed the acute needs of our residents while keeping Century’s organizational culture intact.
As the planet continues its fight against COVID-19, Century is eager to continue its mission, which takes on more urgency the longer the pandemic lasts. The entire Century team has proven that it can stay the course during the roughest of seas and looks forward to 2021 with renewed enthusiasm as we tackle California’s critical need for affordable housing.
