For Debbie Benedict, the dream of owning her own home recently became a reality with a little help from the Cabrillo Economic Development Corp.

The single mother of three was one of 11 Simi Valley applicants selected to purchase affordable housing at the CEDC's newly constructed site on Kuehner Drive.

"It's a beautiful home," Benedict, 47, said. "It's really nice."

There are 26 single-family houses built on the site, appropriately named Kuehner Homes. Eleven houses were earmarked for Simi families with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area's median income.

CEDC is a private nonprofit community development corporation that provides housing opportunities for lowincome individuals and families in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The 3.8-acre Kuehner Homes site offers three- and four-bedroom houses with 2.5 bathrooms and a two-car attached garage. The lots are 3,000 square feet each.

"We offer affordable housing for families who otherwise couldn't afford to buy a home in the city, said Eduardo Espinoza, CEDC project manager. "All these people live and work in the city and it's a great opportunity for these families to live here."

The grand opening of the site will take place at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 9, at the complex on Kuehner and Spineflower Court.

Officials scheduled to attend the ceremony include Supervisor Judy Mikels and Mayor Paul Miller.

Construction on the housing development began in August 2005, mixing low-income and market-priced homes in the $500,000 to $550,000 range.

According to Espinoza, all of the properties are either sold or in escrow and most of the families are already moved in.

"We have the homes mixed throughout the development- people who bought the homes at market rate and people who bought these homes at affordable rates," Espinoza said. "It's really a community that we're building."

Benedict, who has three daughters, had been renting a house in town prior to entering the program. Like so many others these days, she needed assistance getting into a home of her own. "I'd heard about the homes

from a friend of mine a couple years ago before they started building them and applied," Benedict explained.

In addition to the income criteria, living and working in Simi Valley for at least a year are requirements of the program.

"It's a fine line because you can't make over a certain amount but you have to make enough for the mortgage payment," said Benedict, who works as a secretary in public works for the city of Simi Valley.

To whittle down applicants to 11, the program uses a lottery system.

"People interested in purchasing the property enter a lottery and their name is associated with a number," said Jennifer Koch, CEDC communications manager. "The numbers are randomly drawn, and after that we go through those people to see if they are qualified to buy."

Benedict was in slot 19 in the lottery drawing.

"I wasn't guaranteed a home because they had 11 homes and I was number 19," she said. "I had a low enough number and I was lucky to meet the requirements. It all fell into place. I was very fortunate."

In October, Benedict and her daughters, Danielle, 24, who works in Simi Valley; Dana, 18, a Moorpark College student; and Dianne, 12, a seventh-grader at Valley View Elementary School, moved into their new home.

"It's such a relief knowing that we have a home and we're not dependent on a landlord," Benedict said. "It's just excitement and relief."

In a Nutshell • Kuehner Homes was a project of the Cabrillo Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable housing. • The site includes 26 single-family homes, 11 of which were designated for Simi families at or below 80 percent of the area's median income. • Debbie Benedict, a single mother, has already moved in with her 3 daughters. It's the first home she has owned on her own.