Multigenerational community project includes housing for homeless seniors
LOS ANGELES: A multigenerational community project is now set to include housing for homeless seniors said the developer today.
Nonprofit housing developer MAAC is building a $56.6 million San Ysidro project that will provide 101 apartments for low income seniors with 25 apartments earmarked for homeless seniors.
MAAC (Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County) is working with the San Diego Housing Commission and Kingdom Development, Inc. of Riverside in developing the project that it is calling Ventana al Sur because of its proximity to the Mexican border.Translated into Spanish, the name means window to the south.
The five-story, 70,411-square-foot building at 4132 Beyer Blvd. in San Ysidro’s Historic Village District will have 80 one-bedroom apartments and 21 two-bedroom apartments, said Arnulfo Manriquez, CEO and president of MAAC. The development also will include 2,500 square feet of commercial space.
“It’s one of the densest developments in San Ysidro,” Manriquez said. “It will be the tallest building in San Ysidro.”
Construction is expected to be finished by June 2024.
Ventana al Sur is meant for people 62 and older with annual incomes of 20% to 50% of the area median income which equates to incomes of up to $52,050 for a two-person household.
“The residents that will live at Ventana al Sur will not only have a place to live, but will also be provided with access to education, resources and support to increase household stability and improve their overall quality of life while aging in place,” Manriquez said.
He said that Father Joe’s Villages will provide social services for the formerly homeless seniors and that the San Ysidro PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) will also provide services to residents.
MAAC has built other affordable housing projects but Ventana al Sur is the first to include apartments earmarked for homeless seniors, Manriquez said.
“This is definitely something where we are going to be providing a lot more services than we have in the past,” Manriquez said.
Designed by Rodriguez & Associates, amenities include central heating and air conditioning, energy-efficient appliances, laundry rooms, a recreational courtyard and plaza, community space, a computer room, a walking trail, and observation decks.
“What stands out for this building is we really focused on the amenities, on the community space, the common areas for seniors,” Manriquez said. “Having these amenities long term is going to be so much more impactful for the seniors living there. We have larger common area space for seniors than in most senior developments.”
The top floor community meeting roof will have a deck that overlooks the Tijuana River Valley.