September 26, 2019
Affordable Apartments for Families with Low Income, Including Families with Developmental Disabilities, Open in Otay Mesa
Pacifica at Playa del Sol, a San Diego Housing Commission partnership development, will remain affordable for 55 years
SAN DIEGO, CA – Today’s grand opening of 42 apartments at Pacifica at Playa del Sol (Pacifica) celebrated the addition of new housing opportunities for families who need an affordable place to live and, for some, access to services for family members with developmental disabilities.
“At the San Diego Housing Commission, providing affordable, safe and quality homes for low- and moderate-income families is an important part of our mission. Pacifica at Playa del Sol does just that,” San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) Vice President, Communications and Government Relations Scott Marshall said.
The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments at Pacifica will remain affordable for 55 years for families with income up to 60 percent of the San Diego Area Median Income (AMI), currently $64,200 per year for a family of four. One of the apartments is a manager’s unit affordable for a family with income up to 65 percent of AMI, which is $69,550 per year for a family of four.
Close to 30 percent of the apartments at Pacifica—or 12 units—are set aside for households with family members who have developmental disabilities.
“Not only our we delivering quality rental homes within this beautiful master-planned community, but Pacifica is also addressing the shortage of affordable housing for people with disabilities such as autism, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy,” said Bob Cummings, the Government Relations Manager for the developer of Pacifica, Chelsea Investment Corporation.
Rents range from approximately $730 per month for a one-bedroom apartment to approximately $1,518 per month for a three-bedroom apartment. The property is fully occupied.
“Housing is a key part of something we call Live Well San Diego. It’s a vision for all of us San Diegans about building better health, living safely, and thriving,” County of San Diego Health and Human Services Director Nick Macchione said. “And we’re very fortunate because at the County, our Board of Supervisors have really embraced and supported the expansion of housing.”
The nonprofit San Diego Regional Center is coordinating services such as case management, transportation, employment support, and supported living for residents with developmental disabilities.
“Together, the partnership between Chelsea, the (Southern California Housing) Collaborative, the Foundation (for Developmental Disabilities), and the Regional Center has led this area to become the leader in California in creating affordable housing opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities,” San Diego Regional Center Executive Director Carlos Flores said.
SDHC authorized the issuance of approximately $10.8 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds toward the development of Pacifica, which the San Diego City Council approved in its role as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego. SDHC, the City of San Diego and the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego are not financially liable for the bonds. Private sources of funds, such as revenue from the development, are used to repay the bonds.
Funding for the development of Pacifica also included a $1.5 million loan from the County of San Diego’s Innovative Housing Trust Fund. The County of San Diego created its Innovative Housing Trust Fund in June 2017 as one of three initiatives designed to increase the number of affordable housing units and decrease the homeless population in the region.
“So if we braid together programs like No Place Like Home, excess County land, the Innovative Housing Trust Fund – the County is making every effort to provide a valuable resource for our future, for our families, for our vulnerable populations, for our residents, for our economy — for so many things that are impacted,” County of San Diego Housing and Community Development Director David Estrella said.
Pacifica is part of the Playa del Sol master-planned community in Otay Mesa, developed by Pardee Homes. It is the sixth affordable development partnership between Chelsea Investment Corporation and Pardee Homes in 16 years.
“Pacifica was part of a collaboration that we started a long time ago. We started talking about this project from the inception of Playa del Sol,” Pardee Homes San Diego Director of Project Management Tiffany Finstad said.
Additional partners include the Southern California Housing Collaborative, the Foundation for Developmental Disabilities—which provided a $750,000 loan toward Pacifica’s development—and Banner Bank.
“Banner Bank is very committed to investing in affordable housing in California,” said Waheed Karim, Banner Bank’s Vice President of Affordable Housing Lending California. “Since 2017 in California alone, we have invested over $250 million in affordable housing and continue to grow.”
Residents at Pacifica have access to the Playa del Sol rec center and pool, as well as barbecue and community areas. The walkable neighborhood has nearby schools in the San Ysidro elementary and high school districts. Drought-tolerant landscaping and low-flow indoor water fixtures promote water conservation, and the entire development exceeds California energy efficiency standards.
For information about Pacifica, call (619) 655-0562 or visit www.conamwaitlist.com/pacifica.
For more information about SDHC, visit www.sdhc.org.
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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall, Vice President of Communications
619-578-7138
