Affirmed Opens Eastgate, Mixed-Use Affordable Community in San Marcos

Development Targets Low Income Families and Veterans

Affirmed Housing will celebrate the grand opening of Eastgate today at 11am.  Located at 16 Creekside Drive, San Marcos, CA 92078, Eastgate is an affordable community serving low income families and veterans.  The ribbon cutting event will feature speakers: Mayor Jim Desmond, City of San Marcos; James Silverwood, President & CEO of Affirmed Housing; and Michael Gaber, COO of WNC, among others.  A signature Affirmed Housing project, Eastgate offers sustainable, affordable housing paired with on-site services to improve the quality of life of its residents.

Eastgate consists of 42 units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom designs.  The affordable units, ranging from 577 to 1,546 square feet, are designated for those who earn 50-60 percent of San Diego’s area median income.  Units feature plank flooring and plush carpeting, fully equipped kitchens with stainless steel appliances, and ample windows for natural light.  Shared amenities include a clubhouse with kitchen, tech stations, a tot lot, barbecue areas, and laundry facilities.  Residents will have case management services and access to educational programming.  The urban infill project also features eight commercial spaces for local businesses.  Eleven residences are designated as HOME units targeting income-qualified veterans.  The project was designed by Dahlin group and built by Wermers Construction.  Landscape design was by Darsono Design Associates and the civil engineer was Masson & Associates.

                                                 

James Silverwood, President of Affirmed Housing, states, “We’re very proud of Eastgate and pleased it is 100 percent occupied.  Close to public transit, and numerous amenities, Eastgate was possible because of Tax Exempt Private Activity Bonds and the 4 percent tax credit program.  As the House of Representatives considers cutting this program, we suggest they reconsider the negative impacts this repeal will have for persons of lower means here in California and throughout the Country.”

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing.  The company aims at enhancing communities and our environment by building dynamic, professionally-managed, high-quality green multifamily housing.  Areas of expertise include site selection, engineering, architecture, construction, relocation, and marketing.  Affirmed also has extensive knowledge in public finance, low-income housing tax credit acquisition, and tax-exempt bond financing.  For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com.

 

###

                    

Affirmed Housing turns 25!

Affordable Developer Affirmed Housing Celebrates 25 years of success in the Industry

San Diego based developer celebrates acquisition of one billion in funding, 40 developments, and more than 3500 affordable homes to singles, families, seniors, the homeless and our Veterans

September 1, 2017, San Diego, CA.  Affirmed Housing celebrates 25 years of successful development in California.  A premier developer in the industry, Affirmed has built over 3500 affordable homes for families, seniors, singles, Veterans and the homeless.  With a portfolio of over 1 billion dollars in funding, Affirmed has proven time and again, their ability to successfully design, develop and manage housing.  Winning more than 50 local, regional, and national awards for their outstanding communities, Affirmed has mastered the ability to finance and maneuver in the intricate industry of affordable housing.  Affirmed has 40 communities in their portfolio, each in various stages of development, in support of a variety of social demographics.  Having mastered the development of multifamily affordable housing, Affirmed has, of late, focused on housing for the homeless and Veteran population in California. 

 “As Affirmed Housing celebrates 25 years in affordable housing, we reflect and acknowledge that our success has been dependent on the interaction with numerous development and design consultants throughout the great state of California.  As the need for affordable housing grows, we look forward to the future; to helping those in need and contributing to our society.” James Silverwood, President and CEO.

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing Group is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing. The company aims to enhance communities and our environment by building professionally-managed, high-quality, green, multifamily, senior and homeless housing. For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com.

Affirmed Celebrates San Diego Affordable Housing with Local and Statewide Electeds

State Senator Toni Atkins, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilmember Chris Ward Speak at Grand Opening for Cypress, Permanent Supportive Housing for Special Needs Populations

San Diego, CA, July 20, 2016 – Affirmed Housing is pleased to announce that it will celebrate the grand opening of Cypress on July 24, 2017 at 11:00am.  Located at 1435 Imperial Avenue in Downtown San Diego, Cypress is a Permanent Supportive Housing development serving homeless individuals with special needs.  In attendance for the grand opening of the $20 million, eco-friendly project will be California State Senator, Toni Atkins; San Diego Mayor, Kevin Faulconer; San Diego Councilman, Chris Ward; and San Diego Housing Commission President, Rick Gentry.  As a sustainable, transit-oriented development, Cypress pairs the latest in urban design with affordability for those who need housing most: the homeless population in Downtown San Diego.

Cypress will provide 62 studio apartments for residents earning an average of 30 – 40 percent of the area median income (AMI).  The project also has one, one-bedroom manager’s unit.  Resident apartments range from 275 to 350 square feet and feature personal kitchens and bathrooms. Shared amenities include a second-level outdoor open space, a community kitchen, tech tables, and lounge areas with abundant natural sunlight.  The environmentally-friendly community also has a solar array to offset 60 percent of its common area energy usage, and offers resident services by St. Vincent de Paul Village, Inc.  The project was designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture and built by HA Builders, with civil engineering by Kettler Leweck Engineering and landscape design by Ivy Landscape Architects.  Funding for the project included 9% federal tax credits, $3,450,000 of development capital from the San Diego Housing Commission, and $3,837,545 in Transit-Oriented Development grant funding. The project was also awarded 62 project-based federal housing vouchers, which have an annual value of $612,312.

                                                 

James Silverwood, President of Affirmed Housing, states, “Affirmed is pleased to be leading in the efforts of Mayor Faulconer and the San Diego Housing Commission to reduce homelessness in the City of San Diego. In providing permanent supportive housing we believe we are giving our residents the tools they need to succeed and advance their place in society.”

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing.  For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com. 

Our residents WIN!

Affirmed Residents WIN AHMA PSW Foundation Scholarships

Affirmed is pleased to announce three winners of the annual AHMA PSW, Dan Grady Memorial Scholarship.  This program awards academic and vocational scholarships to deserving residents who wish to continue their education. Since its inception, the Dan Grady Memorial Scholarship Program has awarded over $622,000 in scholarships to low income residents and at-risk youth.  Each winner won a $3000 scholarship towards their higher education. 

(*Resident names have been changed to protect their identity). 

Frank has been living at Allanza Apartments for the last 5 years. When Frank was 16 years old, he dropped out of school and was addicted to drugs. His addiction led him to a life of crime where he was incarcerated on and off for about 15 years. As of November 2015, Frank has been sober and in recovery for nine years. He is expected to graduate with a GPA of 3.41 in June 2017 from Cal State San Bernardino.  He will be receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He plans to pursue his master’s degree in Clinical Counseling at Brandman University. Frank is currently working for The Awareness Group as a certified drug and alcohol counselor which he provides educational classes and facilitates groups for people.  Frank also won a AHMA-PSW Foundation scholarship in 2016.

Alice has been living at Creekside Trails for the last 5 years. She is a senior at the local High School and is expected to graduate on June 1, 2017. She maintains a 4.21 GPA while participating in school activities such as cross country, wrestling, track and field, Science Club, Spanish Honor Society Club, and MECHA. She is currently working as a cashier and volunteer at the Casa Familiar Summer Program. She is a first-time recipient of the AHMA-PSW Foundation scholarship. She will be attending San Diego State University in the fall. Her goal is to graduate in 4 years and travel. She would like to spread awareness to third world countries by focusing the attention to those who are in need and help to make a difference.

Jena has been living at Tesoro Grove for the last 6 years. She is currently enrolled in UCLA and majoring in Human Biology and Society while maintaining a 4.13 GPA. She is expected to graduate in 2020. She works as a lifeguard at the Aquatic San Diego. She had volunteered at the UCSD hospital, Kaiser Permanente and San Ysidro Health Clinic where she was inspired to pursue a career in the healthcare field. Once she graduates from UCLA, she would like to return to San Ysidro to help make a difference in people’s lives by working in Public Health. This will give her the opportunity to provide similar services to families that are in a similar situation that she was when she was growing up.

AHMA-PSW is a non-profit organization composed of affordable housing providers, including agents, owners, property managers and related professionals who offer management and products or services to the affordable housing industry -- low and moderate income families, seniors and persons with disabilities.  The Affordable Housing Management Association Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW) Foundation is entering its thirty first year of providing assistance in continuing education to residents of our housing complexes.   To learn more, visit the AHMA-PSW at http://www.ahma-psw.org/

Affirmed Housing acquisitions to be developed as permanent supportive housing for veterans

Affirmed collectively acquires 4 parcels for the development of 215 affordable homes for San Diego County homeless Veterans. 

Affirmed Housing has made four recent acquisitions that aim to further their portfolio in Veteran affordable and homeless housing.  Located in the neighborhood of Grantville, a former Motel 6 will be extensively renovated to include 85 units of housing in conjunction with extensive supportive services.  An additional parcel in the Grantville area has also been acquired to provide a ground up, new construction building of approximately 80 apartment homes dedicated to support local homeless Veterans.  Two other acquisitions have been made in the Village/Barrio neighborhood of Carlsbad, CA.  The two parcels will be developed to feature affordable homes for both homeless Veterans and Veteran families.  Designed to offer 50 apartment homes, the two new buildings will mirror one another and seamlessly blend into the local community.  Collectively, Affirmed Housing has approximately 215 Veteran homes combined with supportive services, in the pipeline. 

 “Providing housing with services for our Veterans has become a mainstream issue and one that we take to heart.  Here in San Diego, one in four homeless men is a Vet.  Our Veterans have risked their lives for our country, providing quality affordable housing and the services they need, is the least we can do.” President & CEO James Silverwood. 

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing Group is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing. The company aims to enhance communities and our environment by building professionally-managed, high-quality, green, multifamily, senior and homeless housing. For more information visit www.affirmedhousing.com. 

We Need Affordable Housing!

Advocating for more Affordable Housing in Washington DC with the California Housing Consortium

There are a lot of hot topics in DC right now, the most important to us?  Affordable Housing, and the continued financial support of the federal government.  There are many advocating and working to make sure our US Congress will continue to protect, strengthen and expand the low-income housing tax credit program. 

*To break it down: the low-income housing tax credits are given out by the government.  They give a certain amount of the tax credits to affordable housing developments.  These tax credits are then bought by the big banks to write off taxes.  In doing so, they fund affordable housing.  The government is currently weighing the value of the tax credits which could hurt affordable housing (specifically, the banks will NOT need the tax cuts anymore- therefore vital funding for affordable housing is kaput)

The Housing Credit is our nation’s most successful tool for encouraging private investment in the production and preservation of affordable rental housing. The Housing Credit has financed nearly 3 million apartments since 1986, which have provided roughly 6.7 million low-income families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities homes they can afford. It has provided affordable housing to all 50 states and all types of communities, including urban, suburban, and rural.

One of these advocating groups is the California Housing Consortium.  A collected authority of California’s leaders in the affordable housing industry, the CHC has been active since 1997.  The organization recently celebrated their annual “lobby days” event in Washington DC.  A prime time to be in the political capital, CHC is active in raising awareness of the LIHTC program, its importance, necessity, and the devastation canceling the program would cause. 

The Housing Credit is our nation’s most successful tool for encouraging private investment in the production and preservation of affordable rental housing. The Housing Credit has financed nearly 3 million apartments since 1986, which have provided roughly 6.7 million low-income families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities homes they can afford. It has provided affordable housing to all 50 states and all types of communities, including urban, suburban, and rural.

At a time when nearly 11 million Americans are strapped to pay rent each month, join us and advocate groups like the California Housing Consortium in urging congress to support the LIHTC program.   To learn more about CHC click here

Pictured above: CHC annual lobby days in Washington DC.

Photos include:   Jim Silverwood, Marina Wiant, Elizabeth Bluhm, Sheela Jiuan, Michael Gaber, Rebecca Clark, Jonathan Klein, Ray Pearl, and Richard Shea

Los Angeles, vote YES on measure H

The Los Angeles Times has said it all, citizens of Los Angeles, vote YES on measure H. The homeless need housing and services to again become accustomed to society.  Daily activities such as showering, waking up at a set time, locking a door- these things do not matter to a homeless person.  These motions are forgotten as the harsh realities of a homeless life take over.  

Housing and services go hand in hand and both are necessary to truly create a change. Los Angeles, please vote yes on H

Homeless people don't just need housing – they need services to get and stay housed. Vote yes on Measure H

Homeless gather around tents along Stanford Ave. on Skid Row in Los Angeles on Nov. 8, 2016.

(Los Angeles Times)

The Times Editorial Board

For homeless people to rebuild their lives, they need permanent housing. But that’s just one of the building blocks to a new, functional life. Homeless people need services to help them leave behind the isolation of life on the streets, get housed and stay housed, and those services are as varied as the reasons they tumbled into homelessness. Someone suffering from psychosis or depression needs mental health care. Someone with a drug addiction needs substance abuse treatment. Someone who’s been laid off and can’t pay the rent needs a short-term rental subsidy and help getting a new job. 

Measure H on the Los Angeles County ballot would raise the sales tax a quarter of a cent and generate about $355 million annually for that essential array of services. Funds from the measure can be spent only on homelessness services — including prevention — and the tax expires in 10 years. To help homeless people stay housed and off the streets, vote for Measure H.

This initiative does not duplicate Proposition HHH, the bond measure that city voters overwhelmingly approved last November to supply more housing for the homeless. Instead, it complements HHH by paying for the services to be provided in the city’s new supportive housing units for the chronically homeless. If housing is the hardware, services are the software that make it run.

The county will never solve its homelessness problem unless it stops more people from becoming homeless in the first place.

Just as the city’s measure was a commitment to provide housing on the scale necessary to significantly reduce homelessness, so is Measure H a commitment from the county to provide services on a scale that could have a similar impact. County officials estimate that 45,000 families and individuals could be brought out of homelessness over five years if H passes. While the 2016 three-night count of homeless people showed nearly 47,000 homeless residents in L.A. County, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority estimates that 157,000 people experience some period of homelessness during the year. Some resolve their problems without help. Many do not.

The county now has a smart comprehensive plan to reduce homelessness, which it has already begun to implement, mostly with $100 million in one-time funding that the county won’t be able to conjure again. The homeless services authority estimates the county needs $450 million annually to accomplish the goals in its homelessness plan. Measure H, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass, would provide the bulk of that amount, enabling the county to dramatically ramp up services and help more homeless people. Such an effort would begin to change the landscape — literally — of our cities, where it has become the norm to find homeless people in tents under overpasses, holed up in campers on the street, pushing shopping carts full of belongings down a sidewalk, or just sitting listlessly in a park. 

For example, money would go toward increasing the number of outreach teams of social workers, health professionals and others who fan out across the county to make contact with homeless people, get them connected with counselors, help them get financial benefits and finally get them housed. It would also help expand the county’s mental health, substance abuse and counseling services.

A chunk of the funding would go toward housing subsidies for people with an acute but short-term need for help. These are the people — many with families — for whom rent subsidies and counseling can mean the difference between a brief period on the streets and a debilitating descent into long-term homelessness. Some of the H money would also go to homelessness prevention, which would allow many service providers, for the first time, to help people on the verge of homelessness avoid it.  The county will never solve its homelessness problem unless it stops more people from becoming homeless in the first place. In the meantime, though, it has to address the burgeoning population of the already homeless, which will only grow unless the country steps up its efforts dramatically. Doing so requires more money, and the options for raising it are few; Proposition 13 prohibits a straightforward increase in property taxes, and the county already hiked its parcel tax to fund parks and recreation.

Measure H, which would raise the sales tax in most parts of the county, is a regrettably regressive way to generate money. But the tax is small — on a $100 purchase, it would add 25 cents. And there is no sales tax on food or prescription drugs.  

There are no easy or fast fixes for homelessness. If there were, we would not have 47,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County. We cannot shoo homeless people off our streets or out of their parked cars and off to some netherworld.  But providing people the help they need to get and stay housed depends on Measure H.  

Paseo Pointe wins National Association of Home Builders, 2016 Pillars Award: Best Affordable Housing Community

Affirmed Housing wins NAHB Pillar award for Vista affordable community

Affordable Housing development Paseo Pointe, in Vista CA., has earned national recognition as best affordable apartment community

January 10, 2017, Affirmed Housing is very pleased to share that Paseo Pointe has been named Best Affordable Apartment Community of the Year by The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  Located in the city of Vista, California, the community offers 69 affordable apartment homes as well as retail space and an adjoining Veterans Memorial park.  The development team includes Studio E Architects, Wermers Construction, Kettler Leweck Engineering and Darsono Design Associates.  Funding for the development and construction of this beautiful community was made possible by U.S. Bank, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, and Boston Capital tax credit equity.  The City of Vista contributed the land as well as low-mod housing funds.  A green point rated, urban infill community, the building exceeds title 24 standards.  

“We are very proud and excited to have won this award.  Paseo Pointe is an outstanding development that serves to enrich the lives of its residents as well as the City of Vista at large.” Nicki Cometa, CFO, Affirmed Housing. 

NAHB's annual Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards program highlights creative development concepts, innovative financing strategies, great design and superior management and marketing in the apartment and condominium marketplace.

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California communities through the development of affordable housing.  The company aims to enhance communities and our environment by building dynamic, professionally managed, high-quality, and green multifamily housing.  Areas of expertise include site selection, engineering, architecture, construction, relocation, and marketing.  Affirmed also has extensive knowledge in public finance, low-income housing tax credits, and tax-exempt bond financing.  For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com.

###