By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large

Affirmed Housing is looking at the northeast corner of Fairmount and Twain Avenues for a multi-story complex of buildings for homeless veterans, special needs populations and low-income families, in the same vein as the company’s current efforts with the former Motel 6 on Alvarado Canyon Road.

Affirmed Housing senior project manager John Wurster unveiled the plans at a meeting of the Navajo Community Planners, Inc. (NCPI) on Jan. 11.

Much like the funding for the company’s Motel 6 project, local, state and federal funds are available for the construction and operation of the facility.

“There is an increasing demand for such projects as this one. All phases of government are realizing the dire need for these kinds of facilities, and working to make sure they get built and occupied,” Wurster said.

Wurster envisions two buildings. One, fronting on Fairmount, will be family housing of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for family occupancy. Plans call for 32 one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom family apartments. It will be a four-story building.

According to a brochure from Affirmed Housing the building will feature “elevated common area amenities and outdoor space on the second level, with community kitchen, multi-purpose space, and gathering areas oriented toward the west to enliven the space with abundant natural sunlight.”

The second building, fronting on Twain Avenue, will be a five-story structure with 40 studio apartments and 40 one-bedroom apartments specifically for homeless veterans.

The resident apartment units will average 485 square feet and be equipped with personal kitchenettes and bathrooms. There will be comprehensive support services offered by a third party onsite with expertise in providing for the homeless and low-income vets.

The plans also call for some commercial development in the buildings — perhaps a restaurant or a small grocery operation, and calls for about 90 parking places located below the first level of residential facilities.

It’s all designed to fit within the walkability and connectivity called for in the updated Grantville Community Plan, with access to high-frequency transportation — in this case, the San Diego Trolley stop in Grantville.

The January presentation to the Navajo group was not a formal one, so no approval vote was needed. Wurster said he’ll be bringing it back to the group in the next few months for formal presentation and a public hearing.

One member of the audience at the January meeting said he wasn’t necessarily against it, but wanted to hear more.

The project has a way to go, but Affirmed Housing seems able to move things along. Its Motel 6 project, which we told you about in November, will shortly go to the San Diego Planning Commission for its approval.

As these things usually go, that’s an almost unheard-of speed record.

—Doug Curlee is Editor at Large. Reach him at [email protected].