July 25, 2022
Building New Affordable Studio Apartments in Nestor for Seniors Experiencing Homelessness
The San Diego Housing Commission will help residents pay their rent and awarded a loan to support the development by National Community Renaissance
SAN DIEGO, CA — More than 70 seniors experiencing homelessness in the City of San Diego will have permanent rental homes of their own along with supportive services upon the completion of a new development in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) that celebrated its groundbreaking today.
“I’m very proud of our progress in providing more affordable options and thrilled to celebrate the start of this construction for senior housing community,” said City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, who represents Council District 8, which includes the Nestor community where Nestor Senior Village is being constructed. “My heart is filled being here at this groundbreaking, and I’m looking forward to 18 months from now, being able to chat with some of those seniors.”
Developed by National Community Renaissance (National CORE), Nestor Senior Village will provide 73 studio apartments for seniors age 55 and older who experience homelessness. The development will also include one manager’s unit.
“The Nestor Senior Village development is an important step forward in the continuing efforts to address homelessness in San Diego—especially among seniors,” said SDHC Senior Vice President of Housing Finance and Property Management Colin Miller. “When the development is complete and residents move in, the San Diego Housing Commission will be helping them pay their rent. This rental assistance will help the residents here as they work toward achieving long-term housing stability.”
SDHC awarded 73 rental housing vouchers and a $3.3 million development loan to Nestor Senior Village 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. The vouchers are tied to the development. When a resident moves on, the voucher remains to help another senior experiencing homelessness. The loan consists of federal and local funds SDHC administers:
- Approximately $2 million from HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to the City of San Diego; and
- Approximately $1.3 million from the City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund.
The studios at Nestor Senior Village will remain affordable for 55 years for seniors with income up to 30 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI), currently $27,350 per year for a one-person household. Monthly rents will range from approximately $530 to $636.
National CORE is building the development on land it is ground leasing for 99 years from Nestor United Methodist Church.
“It will transform what we see as underutilized parking, underutilized land of the church into high-quality apartment homes,” said John Seymour, Vice President of Acquisitions and Forward Planning for National CORE.
The County of San Diego is supporting the development with $7.5 million in state funds it administers from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s No Place Like Home (NPLH) program. County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services will be the lead service provider for 35 residents who are served by the No Place Like Home program, who have income at or below 25 percent of AMI.
“Those units that will be set aside here will make a tremendous difference in helping individuals to thrive and stabilize their health condition,” said David Estrella, Director of Housing and Community Development for the County of San Diego.
All Nestor Senior Village residents will have access to case management and a variety of additional supportive services based on the needs of the individual. In addition to the residents served by the NPLH program, Father Joe’s Villages will be the lead service provider for residents of the additional 38 units, who will have income up to 30 percent of AMI.
“This type of collaboration represents exactly the type of creative thinking and innovation we need to address the housing crisis. I’m particularly excited about the way Nestor Senior Village will create a welcoming and socially integrated community for its future residents. Too often, we see the deep emotional toll and trauma associated with homelessness. However, with care, quality housing and support services, it’s never too late for someone’s story to change,” said Anna Zimbrick, Senior Director of Government Relations & Grants at Father Joe’s Villages.
All on-site services will be coordinated by the Hope Through Housing Foundation, a National CORE affiliate. Additional service providers include San Ysidro Health; San Diego Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); and CASA Familiar.
“At National CORE, we recognize in order to address our affordability issues, in order to address the homeless issues, there’s no way we can do that without adding supply to our housing stock, and every single unit makes a difference. We also know we can’t just rely on government to do that. We can’t just rely on the private sector to do that. We all need to work together,” said Greg Bradbard, President of the Hope Through Housing Foundation.
“Our Nestor family is very excited for the many seniors who will soon be a part of our community. Nestor Senior Village will provide new hope and joy for those who, like all of us, have experienced challenges and persevered,” said Jim Geddes, the Trustee Chair for Nestor United Methodist Church.
The City of San Diego is also waiving more than $1.2 million in development impact fees to assist the construction, which has an anticipated total development cost of approximately $33 million.
Residents for the units will be identified by the Coordinated Entry System, a regional system that allows homeless housing providers to screen individuals experiencing homelessness for the most appropriate housing options based on who is most in need. For more information about the Coordinated Entry System, contact 2-1-1 or visit the CES Access website.
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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7138
