March 18, 2022
Grand Opening Celebrates 52 Affordable Rental Studios for Seniors Who Experienced Homelessness
San Diego Housing Commission loan and rental housing vouchers support Ivy Senior Apartments
SAN DIEGO, CA — For seniors age 55 and older who experienced homelessness, the completion of Ivy Senior Apartments—celebrated at a grand opening ceremony today—provides the opportunity for an affordable rental home of their own with supportive services.
“This is about our residents in our communities, being able to have a home with services that they need, so that people aren’t on the streets. It’s wrong. It’s the biggest problem we have in the State, and we can do better. And because of all of you, we will continue to,” California State Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins said at today’s grand opening.
Developed by Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation (Wakeland) with a loan and rental housing vouchers from the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), Ivy Senior Apartments consists of 52 apartments that will remain affordable for 55 years for households with income up to 50 percent of the San Diego Area Median Income (AMI). The development also includes one unrestricted manager’s unit.
“This is what solves homelessness. Housing solves homelessness. Permanent supportive housing ends chronic homelessness. And that’s what we’re here doing today,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said.
Seven of the housing units at Ivy Senior Apartments are set aside for individuals with a diagnosed serious mental illness, who will receive supportive services through providers contracting with County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services.
“It’s about people moving in. It’s about new housing units being constructed,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher. “And so let’s take today and let’s celebrate. Let’s see how good this feels to get it done. And then let’s get out there and make sure that there are a community of folks that are willing to show up when these opportunities arise time and again, and demand that this get done.”
The development was built in the Clairemont community of San Diego on the site of a former office building.
“We are bringing services and housing to areas that have not been seen before, that are not used to having these types of housing. But I think with the leadership that we’ve seen in the local, county … state and federal levels, we’re going to see folks who have not seen this say, ‘Yes, we want to do more. How can we do more? How do we support more?’” said San Diego City Councilmember Chris Cate, whose district includes Ivy Senior Apartments.
SDHC awarded 52 rental housing vouchers to help the residents at Ivy Senior Apartments pay their rent. These vouchers are tied directly to each unit, and remain with the unit when a resident moves on to help a new resident experiencing homelessness obtain stable housing.
“These apartments are a great example of the type of collaboration needed to create housing solutions to address homelessness in the City of San Diego,” SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said. “These 52 units are among the more than 10,000 housing solutions the San Diego Housing Commission has created since 2014 to address homelessness through our homelessness action plan, HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, in collaboration with the City, the County, developers like Wakeland, service providers, financing partners and landlords.”
Through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC’s homelessness action plan, SDHC also awarded a $3.5 million loan toward the development, consisting of federal and local funds SDHC administers for the City of San Diego:
- $2 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investments Partnerships Grant (HOME) funds awarded to the City of San Diego; and
- $1.5 million from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund.
The development also supports the Community Action Plan on Homelessness for the City of San Diego, which the City Council approved in October 2019.
“Ivy Senior Apartments is unique in that it not only gives these seniors a safe place to live, but also offers wraparound supportive services designed to help them live stable, independent lives,” said Ken Sauder, Wakeland’s President and CEO. “Completing this property demonstrates Wakeland’s commitment to provide affordable and supportive homes that help people who are struggling during the current housing crisis.”
Residents will receive supportive services on- and off-site from St. Paul’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) San Diego, and Alpha Project.
“Today’s gathering isn’t just celebrating the number of units that we’re opening. We’re celebrating the lives of people who have now a place to call home. And home is the foundation that allows us to think through so many other things. It allows us to really achieve the goals that we want to set. So we know that Housing First works. And the key isn’t just the unit, it’s the supportive services,” said PATH CEO Jennifer Hark Dietz.
Services include in-home assistance with daily activities, transportation assistance to medical and other appointments, and on-site case management services to assess tenants’ needs, identify their goals and provide goal action plans.
“It is a comprehensive medical and social program for people – for seniors – that actually have very complex medical conditions. And we help them to live safely at home, not nursing homes, not in placement, but safely at home,” said St. Paul’s PACE CEO Carol Hubbard.
Additional funding partners included California Community Reinvestment Corporation, California Housing Finance Agency Special Needs Housing Program (through the County of San Diego), Civic San Diego and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. The total development cost was $27,012,140.
Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation served as the lead developer, managing the entitlement phase, financing, design, and construction, and provides ongoing asset management and oversight of resident services at the property.
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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7138
