SonomaCountyGazette in California names Harold C. Aguirre and the HCA Program as the Sonoma County Housing Coalition’s 2012 Housing Heroes, for quietly helping some 45,000 people over the years avoid homelessness. Aguirre made his family fortune in real estate, beginning in 1964 with MHCs, as HCA Management, and in 1989 established a trust working through local agencies to distribute the funds. The caveat was that all funds go directly to help people with housing assistance, not for administrative costs, and encouraging them to have a plan to get back on their feet. To date the HCA Program has given away $7 million, providing up to $1,000 for rent or mortgage assistance to families that qualify. Daughter Jennifer Thayer, noting the delight her father received from reading thank you letters from grateful beneficiaries at Christmas, says, “My dad wanted to build low income housing in Sonoma County but it just wasn’t happening. He decided if he couldn’t build houses he would do something to prevent homelessness.” Though active in reading applications for assistance, Aguirre was not known by the recipients of his donations. MHProNews.com has learned that the family business has properties across the U.S., including 12 MHCs in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. Aguirre passed away in 2010.

(Photo credit: HCA Management)