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Plan to give elderly homeless their own homes

Posted at 11:34 PM, Jul 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-19 02:35:14-04

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - More than 100 people attended a meeting Wednesday night regarding a proposed housing development for homeless seniors in Clairemont. 

Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation, PATH Ventures and PATH San Diego are looking to tear down an existing office building at 5858 Mount Alifan Drive.  The plan is to build a 52-unit facility called The Ivy Senior Apartments. 

It would cater to people 55-years-old and up.  The tenants would be seniors dealing with medical conditions that have been homeless or at risk of being homeless. 

Many at the meeting spoke in favor of the development. They believed it can help with San Diego's ongoing homeless problem.

Developers said that community that there would be after-hours security and 24-hour property management.  They say alcohol will be banned from the common areas.  Drugs are prohibited, but tenants will not be drug tested. 

Depending on funding, Up to 15-percent of the tenants, or up to seven units, would house seniors with mental illnesses like depression, according to developers.  But they emphasized that those tenants mental illnesses would not be so severe they would need hospitalizing or 24-hour care. 

The housing development has received strong pushback from the community from the beginning.  Many said they felt a little better about the project, but would rather not see it in their backyard.