At the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC), community comes first. For nearly 60 years, the organization has worked to create lasting economic opportunity and improve quality of life for families across San Diego County. From the start, MAAC focused on delivering essential services to help individuals and families thrive, beginning with job training and employment support, then expanding into education, housing, and health. In the late 1970s, it launched a bilingual Head Start program that now serves thousands of children across 23 preschools.

As housing affordability became a growing challenge in the region, MAAC stepped in to fill the gap, developing affordable housing when few others would. Today, it owns and manages 1,200 units, with another 1,000 in development, a testament to its long-term commitment to stronger, healthier communities.

Progress, however, hasn’t come without obstacles.

In 2007, MAAC needed to sell one of its buildings, but a loan tied to another property blocked the sale unless a portion of the mortgage was paid off. The organization had equity, but not the liquidity to move forward.

That’s where RDF entered, providing the critical capital MAAC needed to complete the sale, reduce debt, and restore financial stability.

The relationship didn’t end there. Even when a loan wasn’t on the table, RDF offered strategic guidance, encouraging MAAC to purchase, rather than lease, its headquarters. That move saved the organization $4.5 million over 15 years and gave it a permanent home for its preschool, child development programs, and administrative offices.

In 2019, RDF and MAAC partnered again, this time on their most ambitious project yet. RDF provided a $10 million loan to support the development of a 22-story, 400-unit affordable housing community in National City—one of the largest in the region.

RDF’s first five loans with MAAC weren’t just financial transactions. They were solutions to complex challenges others walked away from. It’s a partnership that’s empowered MAAC to dream bigger, build stronger, and serve more families than ever before.