Tri-City Salvation Army Project : First Phase of Senior Housing Complete

The first phase of a three-city, $5.1-million project to provide badly needed low-cost housing for seniors in the county has been completed and will open in several weeks, a Salvation Army administrator said Wednesday.

The residences, a joint venture of the Salvation Army and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will provide housing for 270 seniors when completed, said Arthur Stillwell, Salvation Army business administrator in San Diego.

The project is being financed with $600,000 from the Salvation Army and a $4.5-million loan from HUD that must be repaid in 40 years, he said.

Studios and 1-Bedrooms

The 69-unit Silver Crest Residences Apartment Complex at 3839 Lake Blvd. in Oceanside will eventually house 85 seniors. The residents will live in studio and one-bedroom apartments.

“The units are about 600 square feet in size and have their own kitchens,” Stillwell said. “They also have recreation areas and laundry facilities.”

Two other apartment buildings, expected to have 75 units each, will open in El Cajon and Chula Vista. Construction on the El Cajon project is scheduled to begin within the next few months. No starting date has been set for the Chula Vista project.

In order to be eligible for the housing, seniors must be 62 or older and living on limited or fixed incomes, Stillwell said. Rent must not exceed 30% of their total income.

Waiting List of 100

All of the Oceanside units have been rented, and an additional 100 people are on the waiting list, Stillwell said.

He said the Salvation Army decided to submit bids to HUD for the project because of a needs assessment the charitable agency conducted several years ago.

“The study showed that there was a huge need for low-cost senior housing in the county because of the demolition of single-room-occupancy” buildings, Stillwell said. “We will be providing seniors with a secure place and pleasant environment to live during their declining years.”