On Saturday January 26th, we had the opportunity to tour the various affordable housing options for seniors in Downtown San Diego. At our first stop, we got to reconnect with the Serving Seniors organization at their senior housing facilities Potiker Senior Residence and the Sara Francis Hometel. At Potiker, we got an overview of the Serving Seniors’ housing program and got the chance to meet one of the current residents. I wasn’t surprised hearing that the waitlists for a unit are hundreds of people long, and many seniors wait a minimum of several years before getting housing. Although these housing units are affordable compared to the San Diego housing market with rent ranging from $300-$700/month, for these seniors living at the poverty level that’s a huge chunk of their income. Even with these affordable options, they are only left with a couple hundred dollars or less for other necessary expenses. But after speaking with Irene, one of the Potiker residents, I learned the situation could actually be much worse.
We went up to Irene’s room, which was juuust big enough for our group of 10 to squeeze in. She told us about her past experiences in nursing homes and the terrible bed bug infestations that happen at many senior housing facilities. Just hearing about those unlivable conditions and the thought of my own grandma living in one of those gave me shivers all over. Though Potiker is not by any means a paradise home, Irene expressed that she was overall pretty content with her life at Potiker because she’s met many other residents from all walks of life. It’s definitely been better than her other experiences.
After Potiker we to the Sara Francis Hometel, which is also run by Serving Seniors. Unlike Potiker, Sara Francis is an SRO (single room occupancy) motel designated for the temporary transitional housing program. The difference in conditions between the 2 facilities was very stark. The overall atmosphere at Sara Francis was very depressing, unwelcoming, and unsafe. The hallways were dim and beaten, and had a weird smell. Residents here have to share a small communal bathroom. We were told that there have been serious bed bug issues as well. Yet, the rent at Sara Francis is still more than what I’m paying for a nice, shared apartment in La Jolla. Though the program at Sara Francis is technically only 3-6 months for transitioning, many stay much longer because there simply isn’t anywhere else for them to go. This is the same issue with the waitlists at Potiker and everywhere else; residents can’t leave because there isn’t affordable housing available anywhere else in San Diego.
The rest of the stops during our tour made me a little more hopeful. A couple of the complexes we visited, Celadon and Atmosphere, looked like modern luxury apartments from the outside because of the modern architecture. It made me rethink my perspective on what can be made “affordable housing”; these 2 show that there really is no limit. Celadon was probably my favorite housing project because it’s not only for seniors, but also foster youth aging out and adults struggling with mental health. It promotes and supports a multi-generational living community among those with common struggles. In addition to this, the design of the complex is sustainable with LEEDS certification. When successful, sustainable, and affordable housing models like Celadon exist, it helps push the standard for other affordable housing projects to follow.
The North Park Senior Housing we visited for LGBTQ+ seniors is an example of this coming to fruition. The North Park project also upholds open, intentional, and sustainable design. There are features that allow seniors to easily age in place, like the color coded stories for memory, and wide corridors with handrails to increase accessibility. Though the North Park project seemed almost perfect with its colorful and inclusive features, I didn’t feel as if this project was affordable. Sylvia, our tour guide, mentioned that the rent is about $1100 for a single room apartment, which is just as much as it would cost in La Jolla. However, the North Park senior residence is subsidized by the FHA, and by their standards affordable is relative to the location of the project. Since North Park is a more expensive area of San Diego, the rent here can be considered affordable by these standards.
But, does that really solve the problem of available affordable housing? After the long morning touring the different housing projects, I couldn’t help but notice all of the surrounding high-rise apartments being newly developed in Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. Given the conditions and challenges that affordable housing projects already face, the housing crisis, and a growing homeless population, how do these expensive luxury apartments keep popping up? It made me wonder about the city’s role in regulating the housing market. Though new complexes are being built all over San Diego, it doesn’t seem like they’re being filled because of the prices. It made me curious about the current regulations and policies on rent control, and the drivers of this market based system that consistently leaves many people out of the equation. And almost always it is those that are most vulnerable.
We went up to Irene’s room, which was juuust big enough for our group of 10 to squeeze in. She told us about her past experiences in nursing homes and the terrible bed bug infestations that happen at many senior housing facilities. Just hearing about those unlivable conditions and the thought of my own grandma living in one of those gave me shivers all over. Though Potiker is not by any means a paradise home, Irene expressed that she was overall pretty content with her life at Potiker because she’s met many other residents from all walks of life. It’s definitely been better than her other experiences.
After Potiker we to the Sara Francis Hometel, which is also run by Serving Seniors. Unlike Potiker, Sara Francis is an SRO (single room occupancy) motel designated for the temporary transitional housing program. The difference in conditions between the 2 facilities was very stark. The overall atmosphere at Sara Francis was very depressing, unwelcoming, and unsafe. The hallways were dim and beaten, and had a weird smell. Residents here have to share a small communal bathroom. We were told that there have been serious bed bug issues as well. Yet, the rent at Sara Francis is still more than what I’m paying for a nice, shared apartment in La Jolla. Though the program at Sara Francis is technically only 3-6 months for transitioning, many stay much longer because there simply isn’t anywhere else for them to go. This is the same issue with the waitlists at Potiker and everywhere else; residents can’t leave because there isn’t affordable housing available anywhere else in San Diego.
The rest of the stops during our tour made me a little more hopeful. A couple of the complexes we visited, Celadon and Atmosphere, looked like modern luxury apartments from the outside because of the modern architecture. It made me rethink my perspective on what can be made “affordable housing”; these 2 show that there really is no limit. Celadon was probably my favorite housing project because it’s not only for seniors, but also foster youth aging out and adults struggling with mental health. It promotes and supports a multi-generational living community among those with common struggles. In addition to this, the design of the complex is sustainable with LEEDS certification. When successful, sustainable, and affordable housing models like Celadon exist, it helps push the standard for other affordable housing projects to follow.
The North Park Senior Housing we visited for LGBTQ+ seniors is an example of this coming to fruition. The North Park project also upholds open, intentional, and sustainable design. There are features that allow seniors to easily age in place, like the color coded stories for memory, and wide corridors with handrails to increase accessibility. Though the North Park project seemed almost perfect with its colorful and inclusive features, I didn’t feel as if this project was affordable. Sylvia, our tour guide, mentioned that the rent is about $1100 for a single room apartment, which is just as much as it would cost in La Jolla. However, the North Park senior residence is subsidized by the FHA, and by their standards affordable is relative to the location of the project. Since North Park is a more expensive area of San Diego, the rent here can be considered affordable by these standards.
But, does that really solve the problem of available affordable housing? After the long morning touring the different housing projects, I couldn’t help but notice all of the surrounding high-rise apartments being newly developed in Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. Given the conditions and challenges that affordable housing projects already face, the housing crisis, and a growing homeless population, how do these expensive luxury apartments keep popping up? It made me wonder about the city’s role in regulating the housing market. Though new complexes are being built all over San Diego, it doesn’t seem like they’re being filled because of the prices. It made me curious about the current regulations and policies on rent control, and the drivers of this market based system that consistently leaves many people out of the equation. And almost always it is those that are most vulnerable.