January 30, 2025
Grand Opening Celebrates 78 New Affordable Apartments in Clairemont for Seniors with Low Income
The San Diego Housing Commission awarded a development loan and housing vouchers to assist residents at the Paul Downey Senior Residence
SAN DIEGO, CA — Seniors ages 62 and older with low income will have new apartment homes of their own with affordable rent near community amenities and public transit at the Paul Downey Senior Residence, a development built in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) that celebrated its grand opening today in the Clairemont community.
“It says everything about what I knew when I was growing up in this community that we look out for each other, that we’re a better community when we support our fellow neighbors and when we come together to support our senior citizens,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I hope this is a template that other communities will take a look at to understand how these new homes will actually make your life better—in this particular case, probably the life of your mother or your grandmother.”
Developed by Chelsea Investment Corporation (Chelsea), the Paul Downey Senior Residence consists of 78 rental apartments that will remain affordable for 55 years for seniors with low income. It also has one unrestricted manager’s unit.
“I so much want to thank the County of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission, Chelsea of course, Serving Seniors, all the engineers and contractors involved, all the workers, all the people who made this beautiful space possible,” said San Diego City Councilmember Dr. Jennifer Campbell, who represents District 2, where the senior residence is located. “This is exactly the type of smart building, responsible development that we need to see more of in our city. It’s beautiful and it fulfills a great need.”
The development was built on vacant land at the former site of the Sheriff’s Crime Lab. The County of San Diego ground leased the land to Chelsea for 99 years.
“I know that doing something like this, it takes all of us working together with a shared vision to achieve something that will uplift all of our communities,” said County of San Diego Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, who represents District 4, which includes the development. “And I’m really proud to be a part of the collaboration.”
SDHC awarded a $3.95 million loan toward the development of the senior apartments, consisting of federal and local funds SDHC administers:
- $1.8 million from the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards to the City of San Diego
- $2.15 million from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund
SDHC also awarded eight Project-Based Housing Vouchers to help seniors with extremely low income pay their rent. The housing vouchers are tied to the development. When a resident moves on, the voucher remains with the unit to help another senior with extremely low income.
“This development is a lifeline,” SDHC Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Colin Miller said. “It will provide a home and a sense of stability for seniors struggling economically in our community. As we all know, rising housing costs continue to put a strain on seniors, many of whom live on fixed income. We need more developments like this as we work collaboratively to continue to have a positive impact on our community and to help make San Diego a diverse, vibrant, and thriving city for all people to call home.”
The development is named for Paul Downey, the President and CEO of Serving Seniors, who is retiring in May after leading the organization for 30 years. Serving Seniors will provide services to all residents at the property and the Clairemont community through the Judith L. Seltz Senior Wellness Center located on-site at the development. Services include meals, workshops, classes, volunteer opportunities, health services, case management and social activities. The senior center’s operations are funded by a donation from the Judith L. Seltz Charitable Foundation.
“As I reflect, what I think about most are the faces of all the people who joined me on this journey,” Downey said. “The thousands and thousands of seniors that I’ve met that have been helped by Serving Seniors and the gratitude that they have expressed. I think about the amazing staff and board members I’m privileged to work with and learn from them. Without them, none of our accomplishments would happen.”
The rental apartments at the Paul Downey Senior Residence will be affordable for seniors with income ranging from 30 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI), currently $31,850 per year for a one-person household, to 70 percent of AMI, currently $74,250 per year.
The development is one of four projects being constructed on the County-owned land on Mt. Etna Drive for seniors and families.
“Today is a really great day to talk about senior housing, but I’d also like to talk a little bit about community,” said Ryan Lundergan, Chelsea’s Senior Development Manager. “Mt. Etna is going to be in the long run over 400 units of housing is coming here. And that’s thanks to the dedication of (Chelsea founder) Jim Schmid and Paul Downey. Over 25 years working together between Chelsea and Serving Seniors. I’d like to thank both of you for your commitment.”
Paul Downey Senior Residence is within walking distance of schools, restaurants, grocery stores and parks. It is also near San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) bus lines.
Additional developments being built on the Mt. Etna property are:
- Modica Family Apartments: 93 affordable rental homes for families with low income and one unrestricted manager’s unit
- Taormina Family Apartments: 135 affordable rental homes for families with low income and one unrestricted manager’s unit
- Terrasini Senior Apartments: 94 affordable rental homes for seniors with low income and one unrestricted manager’s unit
Connect with SDHC on social media:
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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall,
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7138
scottm@sdhc.org
