From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:
Families that experienced homelessness, like Emily and her children, are now at home in apartments at the newly constructed development Milejo Village in San Ysidro, built in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC).
“I found myself living on the streets, struggling to provide for my children. We lived in motels, streets, curbs, tents, and different homeless shelters,” Emily, a Milejo Village resident, said at the development’s grand opening today. “But with the help of the Rescue Mission and Jamboree, we found our way to a brighter future. Now that we’re home in a safe and stable place, I get to read with them every night and help with homework. I make sure they eat breakfast every morning. I get to walk them to and from school every day."
Developed by Jamboree Housing Corporation, Milejo Village provides 64 affordable rental housing units with on-site supportive services for residents and one manager’s unit. Twenty-five of these units are set aside for families experiencing homelessness that include individuals with a mental disability.
SDHC awarded 64 federal rental housing vouchers to help pay rent for Milejo Village residents. These vouchers are linked directly to the development. When a resident moves on, the voucher will remain to help another household experiencing homelessness with extremely low income.
“All of us are likely to be able to deal with daily issues more effectively when we don’t have to worry about where we’re going to sleep at night. Having a stable and affordable place to call home is essential. That is why developments like Milejo Village are so important,” SDHC Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners Ryan Clumpner said. “The completion of this development means 64 families that had been experiencing homelessness now have a rental home of their own with the supportive services they need."
To make this development possible, SDHC also awarded a $4.2 million loan toward the development. The loan consisted of federal, state and local funds SDHC administers:
- $2.5 million from HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to the City of San Diego;
- $1.2 million from the City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund; and
- $500,000 from the State of California Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF).
Financing for the development also included funds from the County of San Diego’s No Place Like Home Program and Innovative Housing Trust Fund.
“Housing is health and is an essential human service,” said Dr. Eric McDonald, Interim Agency Director of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. “I can tell you that as an emergency physician … I know what the impact of housing instability is on physical and mental health. Most of my patient population were folks who struggled with housing, and the fact that a facility like this can be created and sustained to serve that population really means a lot to me personally as a provider. And that’s why the County is investing so much money and land and resources into affordable housing and projects like this."
“Affordable housing and specifically permanent supportive housing like Milejo Village provide safe and stable housing to our most vulnerable neighbors,” said David Estrella, Director of Housing and Community Development at the County of San Diego. “When we invest in permanent supportive housing, we are investing in the community as a whole, ensuring that generations to come live healthy lives in a safe environment.”
Milejo Village is Jamboree Housing Corporation’s first permanent supportive housing development in the City of San Diego and its second affordable housing development in San Diego County. Umpqua Bank, Red Stone Equity Partners and JP Morgan Chase also provided financing for the development.
“What truly sets Milejo Village apart is the tailored, wraparound supportive services and programs for families and individuals,” Jamboree Housing Corporation President and CEO Laura Archuleta said. “These services will not only uplift our residents but will extend a lifeline to the surrounding community as well. It's a promise of a San Diego where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has a place to call home. It's a testament to the evolution of this community, embracing the critical need for housing production across all price points, including affordable housing for families.”
Jamboree Housing Corporation’s Community Impact Team will collaborate with Tenant Support Services to provide access to supportive services for residents, such as ESL classes, life skills training, job training, financial empowerment, after-school programs and healthcare.
Rent at Milejo Village will remain affordable for 55 years for households that experienced homelessness with income up to 25 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, currently $34,450 per year for a family of four. Residents are identified through the Regional Task Force on Homelessness’ Coordinated Entry System.
Milejo Village’s affordable rental apartments are furnished with bedroom and living room furniture, a dining table, window and floor coverings and kitchen appliances, including an electric range oven, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator. Site amenities include a first-floor multipurpose room, conference room, community kitchen, lounge, computer lab, counseling offices, outdoor seating, barbecue area and a tot lot.
Milejo Village is approximately a half mile from the Beyer Boulevard Trolley Station on the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (MTS) Blue Line, with nearby access to MTS bus service. Shopping and dining options, Southwestern College’s Higher Education Center at San Ysidro and single-family and multifamily housing communities, including SDHC collaborative development San Ysidro Senior Village, are also nearby.