On July 31, National CORE hosted a virtual grand opening to celebrate its latest affordable housing community, Encanto Village, located in the Encanto neighborhood of San Diego. This stunning community provides 65 beautiful apartment homes for individuals and families with household incomes between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income, with eight units reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness.

Encanto Village is located directly across the street from the orange line of the Metropolitan Transit System and borders a San Diego Promise Zone. The neighborhood of Encanto is experiencing urban decay with high unemployment (15.61%), concentrated poverty (39.06%), low educational attainment, insufficient access to healthcare and healthy foods, rising crime, and a lack of affordable housing options. Gang-related crimes and violence have ruled the streets of Encanto for years, with one of its major intersections known as the “Four Corners of Death” by local residents.

In 2015, to help this neighborhood recover from years of neglect, poverty, and crime, the City of San Diego established the Encanto Neighborhoods Community Plan, a guide for growth and development. The plan focuses on high-quality, high-density developments near major transit services to promote community revitalization.

National CORE started working with the City of San Diego and designed Encanto Village to be a model for future developments in the City. Encanto Village is transit-oriented, high-density, mixed-use, and sustainable. With reduced parking, Encanto Village offers residents an array of transportation options, minimizing dependency on automobiles. On the fringes of the boundaries for the Community Plan, Encanto Village will play a huge role in the transformation of this neighborhood as this community continues to revitalize.

“Encanto Village encompasses the vision set by the City and its aspirations for the future in the areas of housing, mobility, opportunities, and infrastructure,” said National CORE President and CEO Steve PonTell. “This beautiful community offers opportunities and resources to the residents and the community-at-large.”

View all of Encanto Village’s awards »