SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Construction is underway Wednesday to turn the former site of the county's Family Court into 125 affordable housing units for seniors and families with low income.
The Kindred Apartments will remain affordable for 99 years for households earning no more than 60% of San Diego's area median income -- $99,240 per year for a family of four as of 2025, officials said.
"Today is proof of what can happen when the city and the county work together with our nonprofit partners to get big and bold things done, and I look forward to more collaboration to make sure that we're continuing to serve our shared constituents to the best of our respective abilities," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said Tuesday.
Bridge Housing is developing the project in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission and other partners. The SDHC awarded 84 housing vouchers to the development, 63 of which are for seniors who previously experienced homelessness. The remaining 21 vouchers will assist eligible families with low income.
"We are here celebrating this site that was once a family courthouse and temporary migrant shelter -- it will now become a space of hope, healing and opportunity," San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said. "Today's groundbreaking is more than just the start of construction. It's the beginning of a new chapter for this community and so many people who will benefit from this space.
"By investing in permanent supportive housing for our seniors and affordable homes for families, we are expanding a future of possibilities for all San Diegans to thrive regardless of income," she added.
The development is scheduled to be completed in early 2027 in the Cortez Hill neighborhood and includes one unrestricted manager's unit. San Ysidro Health will provide supportive services, such as medical and social services, through the San Diego Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly for senior residents, and case management and social services for all residents.
"The Kindred Apartments development will transform this site into a vibrant community that brings seniors and families together and provides housing stability in a shared place to call home," SDHC Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Colin Miller said. "The rental homes here will be life-changing for seniors who have experienced homelessness and families struggling financially in San Diego's high-cost rental market."
Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources, including a loan of up to $7.9 million from the SDHC -- consisting of federal, state and local funds the commission administers -- and $4 million from the county's Innovative Housing Trust Fund, as well as the property itself.
The collaboration between the city and county comes at a time when both are tightening their belts and some seeds of distrust have been germinating. In January's State of the City Address, Gloria urged the county to take more or a role in the city's homelessness response.
"It's long past time for all the cities in this county to do their part and not simply rely on you, the taxpayers of this city, to continue to foot the bill," he said then. "My fellow San Diegans, it is my hope that, anytime you see a person on the street suffering from extreme mental illness or addiction, you think of the county of San Diego and ask them: When will they step up to provide the services needed to end this crisis?"
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, acting chair of the board, has responded both in her State of the County Address earlier this month and in other statements by asking the county to free up some of its reserves to help build more affordable housing to get people off the streets.
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