Officials celebrate the awarding of an ARPA grant for Senior Citizens Village in Fresno on May 11. Senior Citizens Village Administrator Guillermo Moreno, Board President Lee Smith, Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez, Fresno City Councilmember, joined by the Village’s longest-term resident. Photo by Frank Lopez
published on May 15, 2026 – 12:21 PM
Written by Frank Lopez
Senior Citizens Village, described as the Central Valley’s largest senior citizens community, has received $376,500 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for energy-efficiency and infrastructure upgrades at its 40-acre Fresno campus.
The grant — secured through the City of Fresno — is the largest single grant the nonprofit has ever received, according to the release. It was championed by former Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez, now a Fresno County supervisor, and Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea, and was unanimously approved by the Fresno City Council.
What the money will fund
Funding will go toward energy-efficiency upgrades, water-heating improvements, roof and insulation work, and replacement of every utility-pole, pathway and parking-area light fixture with energy-efficient lighting throughout the campus, which is located adjacent to Fresno Pacific University and currently houses 732 residents.
Four new energy-efficiency heaters have already been installed, Chavez said, with full installation expected within four to six months.
“The $376,500 in ARPA funding has been transformative for the Village,” said Lee Smith, board president of Senior Citizens Village. “As a non-profit, this is the largest grant we have ever received, and it is allowing us to upgrade lighting and water-heating across the entire campus. Those energy savings translate directly into our ability to keep housing affordable for the seniors who call the Village home.”
Keeping senior housing affordable
Chavez said he began discussions with Senior Citizens Village about two years ago. In his current role as county supervisor, he said he is working to secure additional housing funding, noting that senior citizens are the fastest-growing population experiencing homelessness due to fixed incomes and rising rents.
“A lot of the covenants that are on affordable housing run for 25-30 years, and in order for them to pencil out you have to keep supporting them,” Chavez said. “We want to continue that places like the Village continue to remain affordable.”
Empowering the vulnerable
Perea, who said she grew up in Southeast Fresno, said the strength of a city is measured by how it treats those most in need. She noted residents told her they were on fixed incomes and struggle when prices rise, including energy costs. The lighting upgrades, she said, will also improve resident safety for evening walks and provide reliable hot water in winter.
“This is the largest affordable senior living community in the Central Valley,” Perea said. “What that means is this almost $400,000 investment is going to have a ripple effect in how it continues to serve the residents that are here today and beyond.”