July 24, 2017

‘Housing First – San Diego’ Development Provides 62 New Studio Units with Suportive Services for Homeless San Diegans

Cypress Apartments was the first development awarded funding through the San Diego Housing Commission’s homelessness action plan

SAN DIEGO, CA – Chronically homeless San Diegans and homeless individuals with disabilities who are among the most vulnerable residents in the City of San Diego have new opportunities for permanent housing with supportive services at the newly constructed Cypress Apartments, a San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) partnership development.

“Today is a great day…but we’ve got work to do,” California State Senator Toni Atkins said at the grand opening celebration today. “We will keep working until we get the dollars that we need to build housing units and get people off the streets. We know that it is the most effective way – we know that it is the most cost-effective way – to help people.”

Cypress Apartments is the first development that was awarded funding through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC’s homelessness action plan, which was launched on November 12, 2014.

“Cypress is that perfect example of ‘housing first,’ and that is our number one approach to helping reduce homelessness in our region,” Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer said. “Because when you start with a roof over somebody’s head, solving some of the other problems becomes easier.”

Located at 1435 Imperial Avenue in Downtown San Diego’s East Village neighborhood, Cypress Apartments includes 62 affordable rental studio apartments, with on-site supportive services for the formerly homeless residents.

The rental studios at Cypress Apartments will remain affordable for 55 years for individuals with income up to 40 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, currently $25,450 a year for a one-person household. Cypress Apartments also includes a one-bedroom manager’s unit.

“This property is the very first that was awarded a portion of the $30 million in development funding committed as part of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, the San Diego Housing Commission’s homelessness action plan,” SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said. “And with the next phase of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, which launched on July 1, another $50 million has been committed to create 500 additional permanent housing units over the next three years.”

Through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC invested a $3,450,000 loan toward the total development cost of $20,420,000 for the construction of Cypress Apartments, which was developed by Affirmed Housing Group:

• $2,850,000 in federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the City of San Diego and administered by SDHC; and
• $600,000 from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund, which is administered by SDHC.

An additional $85,000 from the philanthropic group Funders Together to End Homelessness San Diego was awarded through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO for operational expenses.

SDHC also awarded 62 Federal housing vouchers to provide rental assistance to Cypress Apartments residents. These housing vouchers have a total annual value of $575,112, based on the monthly cost of each voucher, $773.

“A key component of any housing for the homeless is wrap-around services that are accessible and on-site,” said Jim Silverwood, President and CEO of Affirmed Housing Group, which developed Cypress Apartments. “We will have just that here at Cypress, and I am proud to say that Father Joe’s Villages has been chosen as the on-site service provider for this development.”

The on-site supportive services will include life skills classes, mental and physical health care, substance abuse treatment, and case management.

“We definitely need shelters…but a shelter’s only as good as its exit plan. Here in San Diego, if you want to make an impact on homelessness, what you need more than anything is what we’re here to celebrate today, and that’s the permanent supportive housing at Cypress Apartments," said Bill Bolstad, Chief Development Officer of Father Joe’s Villages.

Amenities at Cypress Apartments include a TV room, computer room, outdoor garden terrace, and large kitchen.

During the first three years of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO (2014-2017), SDHC awarded a total of $29.8 million toward the development of 407 permanent supportive rental housing units for homeless individuals, including Cypress Apartments.

HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO is deeply rooted in the national “housing first” approach of addressing homelessness, providing homeless individuals and families with housing as quickly as possible, with supportive services as needed.

For more information, visit www.sdhc.org

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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
(619) 578-7138
scottm@sdhc.org