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.