October 3, 2022
Development of 100 Apartments for Seniors with Low Income Breaks Ground in San Ysidro
The San Diego Housing Commission awarded a loan and housing vouchers to support the Ventana al Sur development
SAN DIEGO, CA — An empty dirt lot in San Ysidro is getting a new purpose as an affordable housing community with rental apartments for 100 seniors with low income, including 25 for seniors who have experienced homelessness, a transformation made possible through collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC).
“What we’re doing today is opening the door – or I guess in this case, the windows – of opportunity for more folks in our community, 100 affordable housing units for seniors,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said at a groundbreaking ceremony today for Ventana al Sur, which is “window to the south” in Spanish. “Projects like these are how we tackle our region’s housing affordability and our homelessness crisis. And I’m particularly grateful that MAAC would go the extra mile and reserve 25 of these homes for homeless seniors. And there’s no bigger issue facing our city currently than our homelessness crisis.”
Developed by MAAC and Kingdom Development, Ventana al Sur’s rental apartments, a mixture of one- and two-bedroom units, will remain affordable for 55 years for seniors with income up to 50 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, currently $52,050 for a two-person household. The development also includes one manager’s unit.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a significant milestone. For this development, it represents the start of construction. For the San Diego community, it is the latest progress in the ongoing work to address the shortage of affordable housing. This is especially important for the senior population that will call Ventana al Sur home,” said Colin Miller, SDHC’s Senior Vice President of Housing Finance and Property Management.
SDHC awarded 25 rental housing vouchers to Ventana al Sur to help pay rent for seniors who previously experienced homelessness. These residents will also receive on-site supportive services.
SDHC also awarded a loan of up to $4.4 million toward the development of Ventana al Sur, which will consist of funds SDHC administers: the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund and California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Local Housing Trust Funds.
SDHC supported the Ventana al Sur development through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC’s homelessness action plan, which has created more than 10,600 housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of Homelessness. HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO launched in November 2014.
The City of San Diego’s Economic Development Department also provided $5 million in funding to the development, an award that came from Mayor Todd Gloria’s “Bridge to Home” program, which provides “gap funding” toward affordable housing developments.
The State of California awarded a combined total of approximately $50.4 million from the California State Multifamily Housing and California Housing Accelerator programs for Ventana al Sur.
“This is about change for real people, for Californians, for people in our communities, for people that work in our communities – in the case of this development – for the seniors that have supported our communities for many, many years, and I couldn’t be happier to be here today,” said Zack Olmstead, Chief Deputy Director of the California HDC.
Ventana al Sur is in the San Ysidro Historic Village District, a roughly square-mile, wedged-shaped area of San Ysidro where Interstate Freeways 5 and 805 intersect near the U.S.-Mexico International Border.
“We’re going to have a community room with a terrace that is going to be in the fifth floor, that’s going to have the best view, I believe in San Ysidro. You’re going to be able to look at the whole Tijuana River Valley as well, as far as the ocean,” said MAAC President & CEO Arnulfo Manriquez.
The development will be built on a 1.31-acre site, which previously consisted of two separate land parcels. A single-family house stood on the site, which was acquired by the developer in March for 2018. The planning for the construction of Ventana al Sur included relocating the previous residents so that the site could be prepared for construction.
On-site supportive services for residents of Ventana al Sur will include case management, life skills, and access to mental health services.
The property is within walking distance to transit, including less than 500 feet from the Beyer Boulevard Trolley Station. Other nearby service locations include healthcare providers, a public library, and a local park.
“MAAC is going to make life-changing impacts here. And while I’m in the business of helping people build affordable housing, I just feel so blessed to work with people who are making life changes in their communities,” said William Leach, the president of Kingdom Development.
The development is anticipated to be completed in summer 2024.
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
