A new affordable housing campus has opened in City Heights this week, providing the neighborhood with 65 much-needed affordable apartments in one fell swoop. Serenade on 43rd combines a new four-story building with two renovated structures to create homes for families and individuals exiting homelessness, featuring on-site services and public art integrated throughout the property. Organizers and local officials are pitching the project as both a preservation and an expansion effort, keeping existing affordable units in the system while adding brand-new ones.
What the campus contains
Serenade on 43rd comprises 45 newly built apartments and 20 renovated units, totaling 65 homes. Of these, 32 apartments are reserved as supportive housing for individuals exiting homelessness or living with serious mental disabilities, according to Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation. The units are restricted to households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, and rents range from approximately $1,737 to $2,481. Residents typically pay around 30% of their income toward rent, according to Patch.
Funding and partners
The 40 million dollar development was led by Wakeland in partnership with Housing Innovation Partners and financed with a mix of public and private capital, including low-income housing tax credits, state grants, and bank financing. The San Diego Housing Commission says it provided a 2 million dollar loan and 32 project-based vouchers, while the County contributed about 6.4 million dollars from No Place Like Home to fund supportive services for formerly homeless residents. Other backers include Wells Fargo and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, according to the San Diego Housing Commission.
Design, art, and amenities
Dahlin Group designed the project, and Sun Country Builders constructed the new building. The campus was built to GreenPoint Rated standards and features family-friendly amenities, including open courtyards, a tot lot, a barbecue area, and a community room equipped with a kitchen and computer lab.
Public art is a big part of the look and feel. ArtReach San Diego led a community mural program that produced three large exterior murals and smaller musical motifs that nod to Tom Waits’ “San Diego Serenade,” adding visual flair while tying the property’s identity to the surrounding neighborhood, as documented by ArtReach San Diego.
Where this fits in City Heights
Local leaders say Serenade on 43rd is part of a broader effort to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing while adding deeply income-restricted homes across City Heights. This neighborhood has seen several nonprofit-led projects in recent years. Wakeland, which notes it has created roughly 9,000 affordable homes statewide, describes the mix of rehabilitation and new construction as a way to lock in affordability for decades and connect residents to services and supports, according to local coverage of a $98 million affordable housing development.
The development team also notes that preserving the two existing buildings and implementing regulatory agreements on them has reduced public costs while allowing current residents to remain in place, a preservation strategy that officials and advocates have highlighted as a practical tool in high-cost cities. Project leaders say on-site case management and county behavioral health supports are intended to help formerly unhoused residents stay stable in their homes over the long term.
