Resource-Rich Community for San Ysidro Seniors Celebrates 2 Years
San Diego – Mayor Todd Gloria toured a housing community in San Ysidro for seniors aged 55 and older who previously experienced homelessness, celebrating the two-year anniversary of the community’s opening. The San Ysidro Senior Village development provides 50 supportive apartment homes and offers a snapshot of the success of the “housing first” approach in transitioning residents out of homelessness. The community has achieved strong housing retention for residents, a success that is due to close partnerships between a collaborative and experienced group of on-site staff.
“San Ysidro Senior Village is a project that is helping us achieve the end stage of our homelessness response – permanent supportive housing. It is providing homes for more than 50 individuals and families while also providing the necessary support to help them work toward a brighter future,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “This project is especially important because it’s serving some of our most vulnerable neighbors – our seniors. I’m grateful to National CORE, the Hope Through Housing Foundation and all the partners who have made this project so successful.”
San Ysidro Senior Village is in a walkable and transit-oriented neighborhood, with bus stops for the 906 line just outside the front door and a station of the Blue Line light rail just a short walk away. The development also includes a community garden fitted with raised planter beds, where residents have begun to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. Other amenities include a 1,300-square-foot community center which serves as a hub for resident activities and private offices for case management.
“We are creating homes for our community members who have given so much to our society,” said Councilmember Vivian Moreno. “Seniors in the San Ysidro Senior Village community, many of whom were homeless or at risk of homelessness, will now have supportive services, a place of their own and will no longer have to choose between paying rent or medication.”
The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) awarded 50 federal rental housing vouchers to San Ysidro Senior Village to help residents pay their rent, which contributes to housing stability. SDHC also supported the development with a $760,000 loan, which consists of federal and local funds SDHC administers: $700,000 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME funds awarded to the City of San Diego and $60,000 from the City Affordable Housing Fund.
“San Ysidro Senior Village is a great example of the type of collaborative housing solution needed to address homelessness, especially among seniors,” SDHC Interim President & CEO Jeff Davis said. “These apartments are among more than 10,600 housing solutions the San Diego Housing Commission has created since 2014 through our homelessness action plan, HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.”
Nationwide, seniors are the fastest-growing population among those experiencing homelessness and in San Diego County, one in every four homeless adults is more than 55 years old.
“Supportive housing for seniors experiencing homelessness is more important than ever,” said Dr. Piedad Garcia, Deputy Director at County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services. “The County is proud that we have continued to invest resources in developments like this that provide a safe place for some of the more vulnerable members in our society.”
On-site supportive services and one-on-one care coordination are provided by Casa Familiar, Father Joe’s Villages, San Ysidro Health/San Diego PACE, the County’s Behavioral Health Services department, Senior IMPACT, Hope through Housing, and National CORE’s property management team.
“At Father Joe’s Villages, we have seen firsthand the power that community has to create stability and to promote healing,” said Deacon Jim Vargas, President and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages. “We applaud National CORE and their partners for creating a place where people can truly thrive.”
The community has won two Ruby Awards from the San Diego Housing Federation – the Supportive Housing Award and the Environmental Award – as well as a National Association of Home Builders Pillars of the Industry award – Best in Green Affordable Multifamily Community. San Ysidro is certified LEED for Homes Gold and is a near-zero net energy building, with a robust rooftop photovoltaic system powering nearly all of the community.
“This has been a tremendous collaborative effort. These results would not be possible without every single partner and staff member involved,” said Hope through Housing President and National CORE Senior Vice President of Social Impact, Gregory Bradbard. “As we work to build more supportive housing and reduce homelessness, it is important to celebrate the successes along the way.”
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About National Community Renaissance (National CORE)
National Community Renaissance, based in Southern California, 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, Texas, and Florida. National CORE’s strength is in its ability to offer partners an array of in-house capabilities that navigates the complexities of planning, developing, building, managing, and providing supportive services. For more information on National CORE, please visit www.nationalcore.org.
About the Hope through Housing Foundation
Hope through Housing believes that affordable housing can be a platform for transformational change at the individual and neighborhood level. For more than 20 years, the Hope through Housing Foundation has provided more than 2 million hours of transformational social services helping children and teens achieve success, improving families’ financial well-being, and promoting seniors’ health and wellness. For more information on Hope through Housing, please visit www.hthf.org.
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