A Clovis subdivision where Habitat for Humanity Fresno County is building three houses will have 21 more homes in the future.

Housing officials from the city of Clovis and Fresno County shared the news during Habitat's construction kick-off event last week at the Rialto Ranchos subdivision on Santa Ana Avenue.

The city and the county bought land on Santa Ana, between Peach and Villa avenues, over the last 10 years, said Andy Haussler, the city's housing program manager. The land had old, decrepit homes on it that were built in the 1940s and 1950s, Haussler said.

Now, the neighborhood will get a new life.

"The chance for this neighborhood to have some new development and new homeowners is really a terrific boost to the whole area," said Clovis Mayor Lynne Ashbeck.

Habitat will build the first three houses that range in size from 1,110 square feet to 1,248 square feet. No one has been chosen yet to build the remaining homes, Haussler said.

Tony Miranda, Habitat's executive director, said the agency would like to build more homes in the development, but it's too soon to tell whether that partnership will happen.

Parc Grove Commons in phase two

The Fresno Housing Authority is also getting ready to build affordable housing.

The authority has broken ground on the second phase of Parc Grove Commons, the 26-acre public housing development at Fresno Street and Clinton Avenue in central Fresno.

The plan is to build 148 one- to four-bedroom apartments with space for neighborhood gatherings and an 8,880-square-foot community building.

The first phase of Parc Grove Commons, which has 215 apartments, was completed in April 2011 with help from a $23.4 million donation from Wells Fargo bank and five other grants and private loans.

This time, Wells Fargo and the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, a multi-family affordable housing lender, are lending the authority $47 million to complete the second phase.

For more information about the new apartments, call (559) 222-3860.