October 4, 2016
SDHC Partnership Preserves 69 Affordable Rental Townhomes for Low-Income, Working Families in San Diego’s Southcrest Neighborhood
Mayberry Townhomes units will remain affordable for 55 years
San Diego, CA — The renovation of Mayberry Townhomes, completed in partnership with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), preserves 69 affordable rental townhomes for low-income, working families, such as Maria, a single mother of three children.
“Since we moved here, we no longer have to spend my only day off – Sundays – at the laundromat. I no longer have to work overtime to support my family and make rent. Thanks to this affordable housing, I can spend more time with my family and enjoy the things in life that mean the most,” Maria said at the grand reopening ceremony for Mayberry Townhomes.
SDHC partnered with Community HousingWorks (CHW) and Civic San Diego for the renovation of Mayberry Townhomes, located at 4422 Mayberry Street, San Diego.
“This is a reflection of that very deep felt and traditional belief of who were are begins at home,” San Diego City Council Pro Tem Marti Emerald said. “What a wonderful start for kids. What a wonderful place for families, to know that they are valued, to know that there is opportunity, and all they have to do is open a beautiful door and step outside and the world is open to them.”
The grand reopening ceremony included a barbecue dinner for residents, as well as face-painting and games for children, who also rode their bikes around the parking lot.
“The good news is that these 69 rental townhomes will remain affordable for 55 years for low-income, working families. The San Diego Housing Commission is a proud partner in making this affordable rental housing possible,” said SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry.
The 69 rental housing units at Mayberry Townhomes will be affordable for families who earn 50 percent to 80 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, approximately $42,500 to $68,000 a year for a family of four. Mayberry Townhomes also includes one two-bedroom manager’s unit.
The renovation also created a new community room with a learning center and computer lab, where residents can access CHW’s after-school programming for children and financial literacy classes for adult residents.
More than 60 percent of the funding that CHW utilized to acquire and renovate Mayberry Townhomes came from Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds that are allocated by the State.
SDHC authorized the issuance of $9,959,732 in these bonds toward the total rehabilitation cost of $16,286,796. The bonds were approved by the San Diego City Council, sitting as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego.
“These townhomes, with their ever-valued washer and dryers in them that make them so special for families, can be affordable for years because of the work of many of the people sitting and standing around us today,” said CHW President and CEO Sue Reynolds. “Buildings are just the beginning. It’s the people that change places and change neighborhoods.”
Mayberry Townhomes was originally built in 1984 and was rehabilitated in 1999, with loans from SDHC and Civic San Diego. CHW purchased the property in 2015.
“What has happened at Mayberry Townhomes is the preservation of quality affordable housing for our neighborhood. It’s such an important part of what we need to do to have quality communities, where people can have the ability to be safe, and to grow, and to call someplace home,” Civic San Diego President Reese Jarrett said.
Mayberry Townhomes includes:
- 34 three-bedroom units;
- 34 Two-bedroom units (including the manager’s unit);
- One one-bedroom unit; and
- One studio unit.
Units at Mayberry Townhomes now have energy efficient windows, Energy Star Appliances, and high efficiency lighting. More than half of the grass turf was replaced with native and ‘water-wise’ plants to reduce water use.
The renovation also added barbecue and picnic areas, tot lots and a garden. In addition, a new mural on 43rd Street replaced a wall.
For more information, visit www.sdhc.org
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Media Contact:
Maria Velasquez
Chief Communications Officer
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7560
mariav@sdhc.org
