Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation unveiled its newest community in Chula Vista on March 24 which Wakeland developed to address the growing need for affordable homes in South Bay.
The nonprofits new community, Casa Anita, located in southwest Chula Vista, has 96 units, with 24 as supportive housing, permanent homes set aside for individuals and families that have experienced homelessness.
Designed by Rodriguez Associates Architects + Planners and constructed by Sun Country Builders, Casa Anita has a contemporary design with five three-story garden-style residential buildings and an adjacent one-story community room arranged around a central courtyard with tot lot and BBQ area on a two-acre site. Financing for the $42.3 million development came from a mix of public and private sources, including the City of Chula Vista, the County of San Diego’s Innovative Housing Trust Fund and No Place Like Home program, Wells Fargo, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation and the State of California’s Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
Rents at the property range from $520 to $1,920 per month and are structured so residents pay roughly 30% of their income towards rent, freeing household budgets to pay for essentials such as healthcare, food, and transportation.
Wakeland Director of Asset Management Gamaliel Vasquez said since 1998 Wakeland has been creating these communities mostly in San Diego, but also Los Angeles and northern California.
“Wakeland is entirely nonprofit,” he said. “When it comes to Casa Anita, there are specific funds out there that are tailored to a specific demographic. Sometimes you will have communities built for veterans, for individuals that were previously homeless. In the case of Casa Anita, the entire community is 96 units and 24 of those homes are designated for individuals who were previously homeless or experienced homelessness in the past. Including families. So, they are target specific,” adding that the development has one, two, and three-bedroom units.
Vasquez said it has a total of five properties now in South Bay, three in Chula Vista and two in San Ysidro.
“Our commitment to those communities and this region is long term,” he said.
“We know that this is a small impact, a small dent, but we are always looking for opportunities to grow that down in South Bay, and really throughout San Diego as well.”
Vasquez said the grand opening was amazing with many guests, and residents participating.
“It was nice and sunny. It was very fun,” he said. “It was the cherry of the top because we worked for so many years on this project, this community, and we were finally able to unveil it and welcome our residents to their new homes. It is always rewarding to see the smiling faces of the residents. But we also understand that our partnership and commitment go beyond that ceremony. Now we are in operations, so we have a wellness coordinator, services on site. To see the following chapters, the faces of the community, that is the exciting part.”
Casa Anita is one of Wakeland’s most unique, said President and CEO, Rebecca Louie.
“Wakeland designed Casa Anita to serve a truly broad range of people who need affordable housing – from low-income working families to individuals and families with children who have experienced homelessness,” said Louie. “High housing costs and homelessness are such pervasive issues in our communities right now, and we are so proud to be a part of the solution in Chula Vista.”
Residents will have access to basic workshops, computer classes, resume building, financial literacy, job searching, extra-curricular activities for kids after school, cooking classes for adults, social services, health services, mental health services for those 24 units designated for households that were previously homeless to ensure that they have the resources they need to live stable lives moving forward, said Vasquez by partnering with the County to meet the residents’ needs.
“We are a big player, and we build these homes,” he said. “We try to ensure that all these residents have what it takes to succeed. Not just reap the benefits, but to succeed and pull themselves to success. We remain involved and make sure these services are being offered and taken advantage of by our residents as well.”
At the grand opening ceremony, Sarai Herrera, a working single mother who has never been able to afford a place of her own before now said, “My daughters and I are looking forward to making new memories together as a family. Even the basic things like doing dishes are special now.”
Another resident, Almalik Raswl, a disabled Vietnam veteran who lived in his truck for nine months before moving into Casa Anita said he can finally access his healthcare needs.
“Now I can relax,” he said. “I can get back to the things I enjoy, like fishing and meditation. And I am going back to school to pursue my goal of becoming a paralegal.”
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann said Casa Anita is an excellent example of the partnerships that go into affordable housing development to server the regions’ most vulnerable on their path to self-sufficiency.
“The City is proud of contributing to this partnership with Wakeland, the County of San Diego, and other funders to bring this project to Chula Vista and provide affordable homes and critical services for residents,” he said.
Casa Anita is fully leased-up, but people who think they may qualify for affordable housing can go to wakelandhdc.com/leasing-information to find a list of other properties that they can call to inquire about vacancies. People who are experiencing homelessness should call 211 to connect with housing resources.
