Self-Help Enterprises Opens Rancho Colegio, 80-Unit Affordable Housing Community in Visalia

Self-Help Enterprises celebrated the grand opening of Rancho Colegio, a new 80-unit affordable rental housing community in Visalia, on March 6, 2026. Located at the corner of North Court Street and East Glendale Avenue near the Visalia Navigation Center, the development brings much-needed affordable housing to northern Visalia, with 20 units specifically set aside for farmworker households.

Rancho Colegio offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes designed for working families. The development is built with energy efficiency at its core — featuring solar power and energy-efficient appliances — helping families reduce monthly utility costs while living in clean, sustainable housing.

The community center at Rancho Colegio will be known as the Colegio de la Tierra Community Center, honoring the site's history. The land was donated by Colegio de la Tierra, a historic farmworker education institution rooted in the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, which was founded to expand educational access for farmworker and low-income families in the Central Valley.

Tom Collishaw, President and CEO of Self-Help Enterprises, said the project demonstrates what regional partnership can achieve. "Rancho Colegio shows what is possible when public and private partners align around a shared vision. This community strengthens Visalia not only by expanding housing, but by creating a foundation for long-term resilience and opportunity for all."

Beyond housing, Rancho Colegio provides residents with on-site services including a free after-school program, adult education and fitness classes, a computer lab, laundry facilities, an outdoor multi-sport recreation area, and barbecue and picnic spaces.

Self-Help Enterprises has additional developments in the funding pipeline across the Central Valley, including The Foundry in Porterville (71 units for working families), Adelaide Gardens in Dinuba (93 senior units for residents 62 and over), and Camino del Rio in Visalia (94 units west of Rancho Colegio).

Source: Self-Help Enterprises | https://www.selfhelpenterprises.org