(Photo by Jim Brady)

Despite the sunny beaches and thriving economy, San Diego is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, making it difficult for low-income families and individuals to afford housing. However, thanks to the efforts of Father Joe’s Villages, hundreds of people who experienced homelessness or were at risk of homelessness have had a home for the past year in an innovative affordable housing community in Downtown San Diego.

Named after Mother Teresa, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa is a 14-story, 407-unit affordable housing community that broke ground on January 21, 2020, and was completed on January 13, 2022. Eighty of the 400 units in the East Village building are reserved for veterans.

The housing community is part of Father Joe’s Villages’ vision to bring more affordable homes to the San Diego region, where the average home retailed for $750,000 in 2022, and the average apartment rented for more than $2,600 a month.

“As we look back on what has been a remarkable year, hundreds of people now have stability and, most importantly, hope. We have many to thank for bringing the vision of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa to life. First and foremost, I give God the glory. The dedication of our staff, partners and donors made this all possible,” said Deacon Jim Vargas, President and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages. “Though we still have a long way to go to meet our region’s needs for affordable housing, we have even more communities planned over the coming years, bringing us even closer to a future where no one in our region is forced to live without a home.”

In its first year, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa has enabled hundreds of people to leave homelessness, including 40 families. As needed, residents have access to on-site services and case management to help them prosper. The housing community is funded through a mosaic of private and public funds, including donations from individuals and several companies.

“My beloved late wife, Barbara and I were blessed to work alongside Mother Teresa,” said donor Terry Caster. “When I saw the inhumane predicament many of our neighbors face on the streets, there was no question that the Caster Family would be involved in solutions. The solution in this case is more homes. In this way, I feel we are carrying on Mother Teresa’s holy work on behalf of those in need, right here in her namesake community of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa.”

Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa was designed by famed architect Joseph Wong, co-developed with Chelsea Investment Partners, and built by Level 10 Construction. The housing community is on track to generate enough rental revenue to cover all of its expenses, proving that affordable housing communities can be self-sustaining over the course of their lifetimes.

The Villa provides residents with a fully-furnished apartment, as well as access to comprehensive, life-changing services including integrated behavioral, dental and medical healthcare, medication and healthcare management, substance use disorder services, mental healthcare and therapeutic childcare.

Father Joe’s Villages is the largest provider of homeless services in San Diego County, and they plan on launching additional communities as part of their Turning the Key initiative, which seeks to add over 2,000 units of affordable housing across the San Diego region following the success of this East Village building.