About Us
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Chico Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) started out as a partnership between the CSU Chico and the City of Chico, founded in 1973 by Jim Jessee, Keith Hopkins, Bill Murphy and Kevin Campbell. In 1991 the articles were amended to change the name to Community Housing Improvement Program, Incorporated.
CHIP’s original purpose was the implementation of a plan to improve a small neighborhood south of campus through a housing rehab program. During CHIP’s first seven years, the only activity it carried out was housing rehab.
In 1980, CHIP diversified operations by becoming a USDA Self-Help Housing grantee, soon expanding to a six-county service area.
CHIP currently serves seven counties in California’s north central valley. Although CHIP no longer does rehabilitation CHIP continues to build single-family self-help housing. In addition, CHIP builds affordable multi-family housing, manages the properties it builds as well as properties owned by others, provides housing and credit counseling and foreclosure counseling services and has raised money for water and sewer projects. CHIP has constructed more than 2000 units of housing in Northern California and the agency has been acknowledged as an innovator and leader, particularly on rural housing issues.
CHIP receives most of its funding from state, federal, and local government grants and contracts. The Board of Directors consists of 12 volunteers who represent a cross-section of the communities that CHIP represents. CHIP holds a General B contractor's license that allows the organization to perform its own construction as well as obtain construction permits.
