Lake Forest, Calif. – National CORE and the City of Lake Forest are celebrating the grand opening of Mountain View affordable housing community and the start of a new partnership to deliver affordable housing to residents in need.
Mountain View provides 71 affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes to individuals and families who earn less than 60% of the area median income. It is located near the El Toro Road corridor, within walking distance of schools, grocery stores and retail shops.
Mountain View marks National CORE’s eighth affordable housing community in Orange County, totaling 970 affordable apartments. National CORE has three more developments set to open in 2024 – in Placentia, Anaheim – adding 214 more apartments.
“It was an absolute thrill to partner with Lake Forest to bring such a magnificent property to completion,” National CORE President Michael Ruane said. “Mountain View marks our first partnership with Lake Forest to bring more state-of-the-art affordable housing to those in need. It is an honor to work with such an amazing partner.”
Following LEED standards, Mountain View is sustainable, durable and energy efficient. The community’s design includes photovoltaic solar panels, plumbing systems that limit water waste, drought-tolerant native plants and rainwater retention systems to reduce irrigation demands.
“Lake Forest’s partnership with National CORE shows that cities can help create affordable housing for families. These homes will be filled with teachers, the people who work in the stores where we shop, the restaurants where we eat,” Mayor Pro Tem Scott Voigts said. “It’s an important project for our city.”
Onsite amenities include a community center with computer access and warming kitchen, laundry facilities and a beautiful courtyard with a playground.
“The Mountain View apartment community furthers our county’s efforts to provide housing for those in need and aligns with our priorities for the community,” said Don Wagner, of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. “We are grateful for our partnership with National CORE and thank them for their hard work in providing housing to Orange County residents.”
National CORE’s affiliated nonprofit, the Hope through Housing Foundation, will provide resident services at the community.
“Housing is just one piece of the larger solution to combat homelessness and fight the generational cycle of poverty. Hope through Housing’s programs are the other piece, giving our residents the tools and guidance, they need to grow and thrive,” Hope through Housing Vice President Alyssa Cotter said.
Hope through Housing will collaborate with the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach to provide free after-school and summer programs as well as services for families and seniors that include GED classes, job preparation, parenting and financial coaching, and health and wellness activities.
“I’m proud to have worked with National CORE, who delivered much-needed affordable housing in the heart of Lake Forest,” said Councilman Robert Pequeno, whose district includes the Mountain View community. “It’s an excellent location, with stores, transportation, and everything else the residents need all within walking distance.”
Construction on Mountain View began in December 2021; the community welcomed its first residents in January 2024. The development has been supported by Wells Fargo, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, Century Housing, the Orange County Housing Finance Trust, Orange County Health Care Agency and OC Housing & Community Development.
“The Mountain View affordable housing community provides multiple wins for Lake Forest – a beautiful apartment complex replaced a largely-vacant office building, and members of our most vulnerable population now have safe, affordable homes,” Lake Forest Mayor Mark Tettemer said. “Mountain View is also a great example of a public-private partnership between the City and National CORE.”
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About National CORE
National CORE is one of the largest nonprofit developers in the nation, with a 30-year history of being an innovator in the field. In 2021, National CORE became one of only two affordable housing developers to earn an A+ credit rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings. In 2022, National CORE issued $100 million in Series 2022 Social Bonds to accelerate the development of critically needed affordable housing. Serving more than 25,000 residents, National CORE strives to be a launching pad, not a landing pad, for families struggling financially. In 1998, National CORE created the Hope through Housing Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit, whose mission is to end the cycle of generational poverty through resident services that promote educational attainment, economic mobility, and overall well-being.
Media Contact
William Diepenbrock
wdiepenbrock@nationalcore.org
(909) 294-7883
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