Santa Fe Senior Village, a National CORE senior housing community in Vista, is being honored with the highly sought-after LEED for Homes Platinum certification for its emphasis on sustainable, walkable and transit-oriented design.
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a certification program designed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to promote energy efficient home building. Platinum is the highest honor available from the organization. Buildings with this rating are energy efficient, offer access to public transportation, reduce water waste and ensure clean indoor air quality.
Santa Fe Senior Village, which opened in April 2025, is a collaboration between National CORE and the San Diego Community Housing Corporation (SDCHC). The community provides 54 beautiful apartment homes to seniors earning below 40% of the area median income. Twenty-seven apartments are reserved as permanent supportive housing for homeless seniors or seniors who were at risk of becoming homeless.
Santa Fe Senior Village has an impressive 107kW DC solar panel system, which produces 148,000kW hours per year to provide 88% of the total onsite electricity needs of the community.
“We’re honored to be recognized by the US Green Building Council for Santa Fe Senior,” said Michael Ruane, president of National CORE. “We believe that sustainability in housing design is a key element of our commitment to creating high-quality homes that serve residents and the community.”
Santa Fe Senior Village is located near the Vista Transit Center Station, which provides residents with robust public transportation access to connect them across northern San Diego. It is also within walking distance of a grocery store, public park, medical clinic, public library and various restaurants.
To qualify for LEED certification, developers must pass rigorous design and building guidelines that go beyond what most states require. National CORE built Santa Fe Senior Village as an all-electric development, designed to limit its carbon footprint through extensive use of solar power, high-efficiency appliances, all-electric heat pumps and an energy-efficient building envelope.
Santa Fe Senior marks National CORE’s 29th overall LEED certified community, with nine Platinum, 19 Gold and 1 Silver certification. National CORE is also a six-time Power Builder as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Santa Fe Senior Village represents a promise to our residents and the community-at-large that our developments are not just habitable or luxurious – they are also very energy efficient, affordable to live in and operate and minimize their long-term environmental impact,” said Tim Kohut, director of sustainable design at National CORE.
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