Father Joe’s Villages is pleased to nominate Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa

Father Joe’s Villages is pleased to nominate Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa for the Orchid Award. This urban infill, transit-oriented, LEED Gold targeted development has transformed what was an underutilized lot in the East Village of downtown San Diego into a new place to call home for approximately 500 people.

Father Joe’s Villages (FJV) has been a trusted homeless services provider in San Diego County for over 70 years and is also a recognized developer and operator of quality, affordable housing communities. Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness, one life at a time. As a response to the housing crisis, FJV created the Turning the Key Initiative. Through this ambitious effort, we are committed to creating change by bringing 2,000 units of affordable housing to San Diego. In partnership with Chelsea Investment Corporation, and despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa ended construction in December 2021, led by general contractor Level 10 Construction and designed by architect firm Joseph Wong Design Associates. We officially opened our doors to new residents in January 2022 and the building is now fully leased. Saint Teresa is a 14-story, 300,000 square feet building, which provides 407 units of affordable housing to more than 500 neighbors in need, including Veterans, individuals experiencing serious mental illness, families with kids, and individuals formerly experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Our major philanthropic contributor, the Caster Family, chose to name this beautiful building after Mother Teresa who dedicated her life to serving the less fortunate. In front of the building, there is a meaningful tribute to the life and transformative work of Father Joe Carroll through the Father Joe Memorial Promenade, complete with statues, inscribed pavers, and Father Joe’s footprints laid on the sidewalk as a call to San Diegans to follow in his footsteps and his example of loving and serving our neighbors. This beautiful and inspiring walkway is part of the City’s larger efforts to transform 14^th Street into a walkable corridor.

The complex has 357 studio apartments of 350 square feet, 24 one-bedroom apartments measuring 570 square feet, and 26 two-bedroom apartments offering 830 square feet. The apartments have full kitchens and bathrooms and the vast majority have either calming inner courtyard garden views or the beautiful downtown city or San Diego Bay views. Eighty units are designated to house veterans, and all the 270 Permanent Supportive Housing units are fully furnished and clients are supported by onsite case managers. Saint Teresa was thoughtfully designed to include modern and community-fostering amenities such as beautifully designed community rooms on each level, several outdoor garden/courtyard areas, two pet-friendly play and relief areas, and a family courtyard on level two with barbeques and a children’s play area. The largest community space opens directly onto the massive inner courtyard on the third floor, providing ample space to host indoor/outdoor activities for residents. Further, there are supportive service and property management offices located on-site (staffed by Father Joe’s Villages), so residents’ well-being, social engagement, and housing stability are deeply supported. To build Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa, Father Joe’s Villages and Chelsea Investment Corporation assembled a complex financing stack from a combination of State, County and City sources, commercial lending, and private philanthropy.

• Funding sources include:
  • SDHC – $11.5 M loan and 270 vouchers
  • Multifamily Housing Bonds- $123 M
  • HCD AHSC- $17.95 M
  • HCD SH MHP- $20 M
  • County of SD No Place Like Home- $15.72 M
  • VHHP- $10 M
  • Tax Credits
  • Private philanthropy

Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa will generate enough rental revenue to cover all expenses related to ongoing building operations and to provide supportive services for the inclusionary housing (PSH) residents. Given the requirements of some of the funding sources, the building had to be legally bifurcated into two buildings, which meant two closings. Despite this added complexity, the development team achieved an on-time closing and on-time completion of construction.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa is more than just affordable housing; it is the largest affordable housing development of its kind in San Diego County. It stands out not only because of its elegant structure, but for the symbol of hope, it brings to our community. Saint Teresa provides a brighter future, and it supports our mission to end homelessness, one life at a time. Saint Teresa is a shining example of the type of development San Diego needs to respond to the magnitude of our city’s housing crisis by providing high-density, high-quality, attractive and welcoming affordable and supportive housing.