July 31, 2020
65 New Affordable Apartments in a Core Area of Encanto for Families with Low Income and Veterans Who Experienced Homelessness
Grand opening celebrates completion of SDHC partnership development with National CORE that will remain affordable for 55 years
SAN DIEGO, CA – A core area of Encanto, located across the street from the Encanto/62nd Street Trolley Station, near schools, a park and retail, and envisioned as a growing business and housing corridor, is now home to 65 families with low income—including eight veterans who experienced homelessness—at a new San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) partnership development with National Community Renaissance (National CORE) that celebrated its grand opening today.
“The single most important ingredient in our City’s efforts to fight homelessness is the creation of housing actually affordable to low- and very-low income San Diegans,” California State Assemblymember Todd Gloria said as Encanto Village celebrated its grand opening. “I’m proud of the Encanto community for embracing the type of high density, affordable project that is so critical to solving our region’s housing crisis and providing a way to house our homeless veterans.”
Encanto Village, located at 6315 Imperial Avenue, was built in the “Encanto Village District” of the Encanto Neighborhoods Community Plan.
“The Encanto Village project is just the latest new housing development to open in our push to build more housing for struggling families and veterans,” Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer said. “These 65 homes will serve as a lifeline for many who are working hard to lift themselves up and build a better future. We need more smart growth like this near transit as we create more housing that working San Diegans can actually afford.”
Encanto Village is approximately a half mile from Encanto Elementary School, 1.5 miles from Morse High School, 1.7 miles from Lincoln High School and a half mile from Encanto Park.
“When families have access to quality affordable housing and quality retail, they become part of a diverse community, find and keep jobs, lead healthier lives and take better care of their children. Encanto Village embodies the collective representation of our community’s culture that deserves dignity. From its vibrant color palette to the spirit of the small businesses occupying retail space on the first floor, Encanto Village invites the rest of San Diego to the heart of our district with one trolley ride,” said San Diego City Councilmember Monica Montgomery. who represents Council District 4, which includes the Encanto Village development.
A transit-oriented development located across the street from the Encanto/62nd Street Trolley Station, Encanto Village provides residents with access to public transportation for work, school and leisure activities.
“Affordable housing is vital to creating a more equitable future in San Diego County. New affordable developments like this one ensure our low-income neighbors can be active participants in our region’s continued growth and success,” said San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, who also chairs the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors. “Encanto Village’s proximity to transit, schools, parks and retail make it a model for the housing we need to reduce vehicle miles traveled in our region.”
SDHC invested a loan of $1,060,000 toward the Encanto Village development. In addition, SDHC awarded eight Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC’s homelessness action plan, to help pay the rent at Encanto Village for veterans who previously experienced homelessness. These veteran residents will receive supportive services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Encanto Village is an important addition to help meet San Diego’s continuing need for more rental homes that families with low income can afford. The eight units here for veterans also are among more than 9,200 housing solutions that HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO has created in five and a half years for individuals and families experiencing homelessness,” SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said.
SDHC’s loan consisted of federal and City funds that SDHC administers:
- $960,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds awarded to the City of San Diego; and
- $100,000 from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund.
Encanto Village provides 30 one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units, and 17 three-bedroom units affordable to families with income up to 60 percent of the San Diego Area Median Income (AMI), currently $69,300 per year for a family of four. These units will remain affordable for 55 years. The development also includes one three-bedroom manager’s unit.
“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.”
Families have access to on-site services from Hope through Housing Foundation, National CORE’s affiliate, including after-school activities and classes in financial literacy, homebuyer education, résumé building, nutrition and English as a Second Language.
The development also includes gardens, courtyards, community center and computer center, an outdoor play area for children, laundry facilities, secure bicycle storage, and electric vehicle charging spaces. Approximately 5,000 square feet of commercial space also is available for nonprofit organizations and businesses. The development is fully occupied, with more than 1,200 people on its waiting list.
Additional financing partners included Civic San Diego, Bank of America, Hudson Housing Capital and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Affordable Housing Program Funds. The total development cost for Encanto Village was approximately $24.7 million.
Encanto Village is a finalist for three national awards: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Award of Excellence (the development received an Award of Merit); Urban Land Institute’s Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award; and Affordable Housing Finance’s 2020 Reader’s Choice Awards.
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Media Contacts:
Scott Marshall
SDHC Vice President of Communications
619-578-7138; scottm@sdhc.org
Jill Van Balen
National Community Renaissance ®
Senior Director, Marketing
(909) 204-3434 jvanbalen@nationalcore.org
