SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Vista del Puente, an affordable housing community being developed by Townspeople and National CORE (National CORE), has been awarded $3.3 million under a state program designed to house and provide intensive services to homeless veterans.
The money is part of $116.1 million awarded to 28 projects across the state by the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), California Housing Finance Agency (Cal HFA) and Housing and Community Development (HCD). Vista del Puente has designated 26 units – half of the 52-unit total – for homeless veterans with a disability or serious illness with a specific focus on homeless veterans living with HIV/AIDS.
“We are thrilled to receive the funding – and recognition – from CalVet for a project that serves a great unfilled need in our region and is so close to our hearts,” said Steve PonTell, President and Chief Executive Officer for National CORE. “Our military veterans have given us so much, and yet the challenges many of them face are so often neglected. We’re honored to partner with Townspeople to give something back.”
“Vista del Puente will be just the kind of community San Diego is looking for to help end homelessness especially for our veterans and Townspeople is proud to partner with National CORE to make it a reality,” said Jon Derryberry, Executive Director of Townspeople. “Mayor Faulconer’s Housing Our Heroes campaign and San Diego Housing Commission’s Housing First – San Diego are prioritizing the creation of permanent supportive housing that provide individuals and families permanent housing connected to the services needed to achieve housing stability and quality of life.
Vista del Puente, located in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego, will include six one-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units, all featuring full kitchens and bathrooms. The community will have courtyards, a play area, a community room, a fully equipped kitchen for resident gatherings, as well as a pantry, laundry and maintenance room. The community room and offices will be used for on-site services, tenant meetings, after school activities and financial literacy and other classes.
Thirty-eight serviced-enriched units will be designated for homeless individuals with a disability or serious illness, including individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Of those, 26 units will be reserved for homeless veterans.
Townspeople and National CORE hope to begin construction on Vista del Puente in February 2017.
About Townspeople
Townspeople has provided a wide variety of housing and supportive services to the community since 1984 and is the only HIV/AIDS specific agency in San Diego County that develops, owns, and manages affordable supportive housing, as well as coordinates supportive services for its tenants. The work of our organization is based upon the principle that men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS deserve the best possible housing and supportive services. For more information on Townspeople its housing and supportive services, please visit www.townspeople.org.
About National CORE
National CORE, based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing. National CORE manages nearly 9,000 affordable, senior and market-rate units in California, Arkansas, Texas and Florida. Over the past two decades, its social services partner, Hope through Housing Foundation, has provided more than 2 million hours in supportive services to enhance quality of life, including preschool, afterschool, senior wellness and upward mobility programs. For more information on both organizations, please visit www.nationalcore.org.
Media Contact:
Steve Lambert, The 20/20 Network
(909) 841-7527 / steve@the2020network.com