Research & Innovations

From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:

Nestor Senior Village, a development in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) that celebrated its grand opening today, is a source of hope for seniors who experienced homelessness, such as Teretha, one of the first residents at the newly constructed apartments.

“I have my own space again where I can cook for myself, where I can take a shower with warm running water, where I can have a bed that I can sleep comfortably on—a place where I feel safe. Things can only go up from here,” said Teretha, who said she was unhoused from December 2022 to January 2024 and lived in her car, contributing to health issues she experienced.

Nestor Senior Village provides 73 affordable rental housing units near transit in the Nestor community along with supportive services for seniors ages 55 and older who experienced homelessness or were at risk of homelessness.

“This is not the first time we’ve been in Nestor, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa—where these communities say, ‘Yes,’” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “You deserve high-quality housing. This is a beautiful project. Would you agree? I think it’s worthy of this great neighborhood.”

The studio units at Nestor Senior Village, developed by National Community Renaissance (National CORE), will remain affordable for 55 years for seniors with income up to 30 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI), currently $28,950 per year for a one-person household. The City of San Diego waived more than $1.2 million in development impact fees for the development.

“It’s important to note that Nestor Senior Village is not just a housing complex, but it’s really a one-stop shop to help seniors get resources. And this project is an example that when we come together, great things can happen,” said City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, whose district includes Nestor Senior Village. “Today is a great day for the City of San Diego, and I think it’s an even greater day for the community of Nestor.”

County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services will be the lead service provider for residents of 35 units, and the County awarded $7.5 million through the No Place Like Home program to support the development. The County administers State No Place Like Home funds, which support permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness who need mental health services.

“We live in the fourth-largest economy in the world, and knowing that our seniors continue to be the greatest number of folks who are heading into homelessness is something that I think is just not acceptable,” County of San Diego Chair of the Board of Supervisors Nora Vargas said. “Today, to know that we’re going to have the 73 homes and that out of those, 35 of those units will be for the folks that are specifically on the No Place Like Home program, to me, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to be doing—collaborating, partnering.”

SDHC awarded 73 rental housing vouchers to help Nestor Senior Village residents pay their rent and a $3.3 million loan toward the Nestor Senior Village development. The vouchers are tied to the development. When a resident moves on, the voucher remains to help another senior experiencing homelessness. The loan consists of federal and local funds SDHC administers:

• $2 million from HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to the City of San Diego; and
• $1.3 million from the City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund.

“In every crisis, you need a collaboration. And this is a great example of what happens when you collaborate and you see various entities and people committed to helping lean in,” SDHC Chair of the Board of Commissioners Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell said. “Often at our Commission hearings, there are tears from the Board members because it’s hard for us because we want to go faster and be more impactful. Today, the tears are tears of joy because I know what’s going to happen inside of this building is nothing but awesome.”

National CORE developed Nestor Senior Village on land it is ground leasing for 90 years from Nestor United Methodist Church.

“One of the benefits of partnering with Nestor United Methodist Church and other churches in San Diego is that it connects our residents directly with a built-in community,” National CORE Vice President John Seymour said. “We will continue to work with churches, the City and the County and continue to build affordable housing, especially for our seniors.”

“The church is very happy to have you and our community and our citizens residing with us,” said Jim Geddes, former Chair of the Nestor United Methodist Church Board of Trustees.

Nestor Senior Village residents are identified through the Regional Task Force on Homelessness’ Coordinated Entry System, a regional system that allows homeless housing providers to screen individuals experiencing homelessness for the most appropriate housing options based on who is most in need. All the units at the development are leased up.

All on-site services will be coordinated by the Hope Through Housing Foundation, a National CORE affiliate. Father Joe’s Villages is the lead service provider for residents of the 38 units not served by County Behavioral Health Services. Additional service providers include Alpha Project Tenant Peer Support Services, San Ysidro Health, San Diego Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and Casa Familiar.

“Our work here at Nestor Senior Village, all of us together, is to create a community that provides services to empower our residents to achieve their goals while staying housed,” said Stephanie De La Torre, Regional Director of the Hope Through Housing Foundation.

From Boston Housing Authority's press release:

 March 27, 2024 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu joined Boston Housing Authority Administrator Kenzie Bok to welcome home the new residents and celebrate the opening of 34 East Springfield Street, a 100% affordable veteran housing community located in the heart of Boston’s South End neighborhood. The house warming celebration marks the transformation of a formerly vacant, four-unit Boston Housing Authority Public Housing property into five deeply affordable, one-bedroom apartments for formerly homeless veterans.

"Today, we’re here to celebrate a win for Boston’s homeless veterans, and to welcome five new residents into their homes,” said BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok. “This project restores a historic South End Brownstone and gives its residents the housing stability and supportive services that they need to thrive here in Boston."

"As part of an effort to ensure that all of our veterans are stably housed, the Mayor’s Office of Housing was pleased to partner with the Boston Housing Authority and MPZ Development, on the redevelopment of 34 East Springfield Street,” said Sheila Dillon, Boston's Chief of Housing. “We want to extend a warm welcome to the veterans who are moving into these beautiful South End homes."

In May of 2020, affordable housing developer MPZ Development LLC (MPZ) was selected by the Boston Housing Authority to lead the redevelopment of 34 East Springfield Street. MPZ was tasked with balancing the principles of affordability, historic preservation, and accessibility through the design, development and construction process.

34 East Springfield is a 150-year-old brick rowhouse acquired by the Boston Housing Authority as Federal Public Housing in the 1980s and operated as public housing until a fire fifteen years ago.

“Today’s grand opening of 34 East Springfield St. is a major achievement and represents a critical commitment to building affordable housing for veterans at risk of homelessness,” said Mathieu Zahler, Principal of MPZ Development LLC. “Through great collaboration, we have transformed a once vacant and blighted building into a place where its residents can not only live but thrive. I’m thrilled to deliver this project with our many project partners to the South End neighborhood and look forward to seeing the impact it makes within the community."

34 East Springfield Street was funded through a mix of state, local, and private funding sources, including HOME funding through The City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing. Other funders include the Neighborhood Housing Trust, The Boston Housing Authority and Dedham Institution for Savings and the purchase of State and Federal Historic Tax Credits by members of the Grossman Family. The units will be permanently affordable thanks to the HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Program which provides Project Based Vouchers for all five apartments, as well as ongoing supportive services for the residents.

34 East Springfield Street’s residents enjoy immediate proximity and access to a wide array of community services including Boston Medical Center and other healthcare facilities, the MBTA Silver Line and nearby grocery and dining options.

“I am blessed to be a part of this opportunity that is giving me the platform to affordably live comfortably in a community alongside other veterans,” said Anthony Magnole, a resident at 34 East Springfield St. “I’m incredibly grateful to leverage this chance to progress towards my goals."

The redevelopment was supported by the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association and the project abutters. The project abutters at 32 East Springfield Street collaborated closely with MPZ, with all three condo owners in the building agreeing to temporarily relocate for a period of time and to reconstruct 32 East Springfield’s façade.

MPZ worked with The Narrow Gate Architecture, Epsilon Associates and ZVI Construction to meticulously preserve and restore important historic features of this mid-19th century Italianate-style rowhouse, which is included in the South End National Historic District. Simultaneously, MPZ made necessary and important modernization and accessibility updates to 34 East Springfield Street, allowing its veteran residents to live comfortably and sustainably in the 100% electric, solar-ready building with green upgrades included throughout.

“This affordable housing development for veterans in the South End meets a critical need,” said Doug Shaw, Executive Vice President & Senior Lending Officer at Dedham Savings. “As a community bank, Dedham Savings is proud to support such a project that further strengthens the local community."

“We’re excited to see this vacant space come to life in such a meaningful way and are pleased to fund such an important project for the City of Boston,” said Martin Connors, First Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Lending at Dedham Savings.

“The Grossman Family was thrilled to be a small part of this wonderful project which has restored beauty to a historic building, provided affordable homes for our valued Veterans, and proved that hard work by a passionate and committed developer who overcame many unanticipated challenges is well worth the time and effort required for the success of this project,” said Louis Grossman, a historic tax credit investor.

“Collaborations like this between HUD, VA, the City of Boston and private sector partners like MPZ Development are helping ensure Veterans have a safe place to call home,” said Vincent Ng, director of VA Boston Healthcare System. “That foundation combined with ongoing support from HUD-VASH staff can have a life-changing and lasting impact on Veterans’ lives.”

From Affirmed Housing's press release:

Affirmed Housing, a leading provider of affordable, multifamily housing throughout California, announces the completion of 79 homes at Vitalia, a new, affordable and supportive housing development located at 3100 S. Bascom Avenue in San Jose’s Cambrian neighborhood. A grand opening ceremony was held on March 29 to mark this achievement, with Mayor Matt Mahan, Councilmember Pam Foley, Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and Supervisor Sylvia Arenas in attendance.

“Oftentimes we forget that some of the residents who qualify for affordable housing are our students, teachers, seniors on fixed incomes, veterans, and those who were formerly unhoused,” said Councilmember Foley. “Access to affordable housing is a significant step in the right direction toward ensuring that these individuals and many others have safe, stable options to call home. This new housing community is a welcoming, vibrant space and is a testament to the positive changes we see happening in our community.”

“Vitalia is the foundation for a new beginning and a brighter future for its residents, and it raises the bar of what it means to develop meaningful housing resources for those who have the biggest need,” said Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg. “Ensuring housing security is the best investment we can make for the people of Santa Clara. This sustainably minded project not only puts a roof over many of our hard-working citizens, but it also provides supportive services and care to help them gain stability and live to their fullest potential.”

Vitalia is a five-story, GreenPoint Rated Platinum development delivering a mixture of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom new homes for low-income and formerly unhoused families and individuals. Nearly half are reserved for supportive housing with the remaining homes designated for households earning up to 60 percent of the County Area Median Income (AMI).

“Vitalia prioritizes the health and well-being of the County’s most vulnerable populations, who deserve to live with dignity. More than just having a roof over their heads, they deserve a safe, clean place that they can be proud to call home and where they can thrive,” said Rob Wilkins, Affirmed Housing’s Vice President of Northern California. “We are proud to have partnered with the County, City, and VA to bring this project to fruition.”

Vitalia’s design prioritizes residents’ long-term health and independent living. The all-electric building incorporates several sustainable elements, such as Energy Star appliances and rooftop solar panels. Security features, including surveillance cameras and onsite management, are integrated into the development to help ensure the health and safety of its tenants. Vitalia’s onsite amenities include an interior courtyard, a community and computer room, a large outdoor deck, and a community garden. An underground garage accommodates 40 parking stalls, and three additional stalls are accessible at grade level. Its location in a High Resource Area supports easy access to local amenities, including grocery stores, a hospital, pharmacies, schools and public transportation.

To finance Vitalia, Affirmed Housing obtained $15.8 million in Santa Clara County Measure A funds and a $36 million construction and permanent loan from U.S. Bank. Boston Financial Investment Management provided $40 million in tax credit equity through the sale of the project’s state and federal tax credits. Additional support for Vitalia was provided in the form of project-based vouchers from the Santa Clara County Housing Authority and Department of Veterans Affairs. Housing Trust Silicon Valley also provided a $7.7 million acquisition loan.

“The Bay Area is one of the most expensive places in the country to live. That is why it is so critically important that we continue to invest robustly in affordable housing across this region. We are honored to have provided early-stage financing for Vitalia,” said Noni Ramos, CEO at Housing Trust Silicon Valley. “As a nonprofit financial intermediary, Housing Trust’s mission is to use public and private partnerships to create more equitable and affordable communities. We value our partnership with Affirmed Housing.”