CHW announces mixed-income development in North Park to include LGBT-affirmative senior affordable housing

SAN DIEGO – San Diego-based nonprofit Community Housing Works (CHW) has announced its newest North Park development to be located at the intersection of Texas Street and Howard Avenue. The mixed-income development is proposed to include 118 market-rate multifamily homes and 76 affordable apartments for seniors.

In partnership with the San Diego LGBT Community Center (“The Center”), the senior apartments will be designed as an affirming and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender seniors.  The Center’s Senior Services staff will provide services welcoming to the entire senior community of residents.

“We’re very enthusiastic about this collaborative project,” says Dr. Delores Jacobs, CEO, The Center. “LGBT seniors have very few options for affirming and supportive housing – and for our low-income seniors, the situation is even more difficult. This project will provide a significant step in the direction of making sure LGBT seniors in San Diego can live with dignity. The fact that it’s a CHW development makes it even more exciting, as it gives us full confidence that it will be a safe, supportive, well-planned project that anyone would be proud to live in.”

A recent study, LGBT San Diego’s Trailblazing Generation, found that LGBT seniors faced concerns about the lack of family, community and social support and fears of increasing isolation. Coupled with financial concerns and the lack of access to culturally competent social services, the need for safe LGBT-affirmative affordable housing options was identified as a key need for the San Diego community.

“We are proud to be able to incorporate The Center’s excellent senior services into the resident programs that we provide at each of our apartment complexes,” says Sue Reynolds, president and CEO, CHW. “Our mission is to provide housing that meets the unique needs of each community, and this has been identified as one of the primary needs in the areas of North Park and Uptown.”

The unnamed development will follow CHW’s recently completed Kalos, a LEED Platinum community on Florida Street. “CHW has been a pioneer in incorporating sustainable technologies and very livable urban housing,” says Anne Wilson, senior vice president of real estate, CHW.  “We look forward to designing a courtyard-oriented building that enhances the community and provides a great experience for residents.”

CHW will seek approval from the City of San Diego under the Affordable Housing Density Bonus program that allows the construction of additional housing and other incentives in return for delivering affordable housing to the community. Other financing sources will include a traditional bank loan and Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

“Important to making this proposal a reality is the market-rate housing. We hope to sell or joint-venture the market rate portion with a quality for-profit developer in order to provide additional proceeds for the affordable housing,” says Dave Gatzke, vice president of acquisitions, CHW. “We also know that the North Park community wants quality new housing along The Boulevard corridor, and are pleased to be able to provide this innovative mixed-income concept.”

CHW has already solicited input from the North Park Planning Group’s Urban Design and Project Review Subcommittee, and will submit a full formal application to the city in January 2014. Full approval is expected in the third-quarter of 2014. Timing of the affordable portion of the development will depend on the competitive award of Low Income Housing Tax Credits. “Tax Credits are allocated twice a year, and demand far outstrips supply,” says Wilson. “We will work to make this happen as soon as possible.”

CHW plans to hold open house information sessions about the proposed development in January and February 2014 for members of the community.  Further details will be forthcoming.