As part of an initiative to boost affordable housing options in downtown San Diego, Cypress has recently opened its doors. The 63-unit housing facility, developed by Affirmed Housing and financed by the San Diego Housing Commission and its partners, opens just as the San Diego city council is holding special hearings to address possible solutions to the high cost of housing.
Located in the East Village of Downtown San Diego, the new permanent supportive housing facility is one of several new initiatives eyed to spur affordable housing that the Mayor Kevin Faulconer hoped will increase housing development aimed at low- and middle-income residents.. The six-story facility, an efficient and welcoming complex located on a lot less than a quarter-acre in size, offers not only permanent housing but also convenient access to services such as outpatient treatment and job training for onside residents. “As a firm, we’re dedicated to creating the highest-quality architectural solutions but also to addressing the many needs of our community members,” says the architect Claudia Escala, R.A., LEED AP, an architect and principal with Carrier Johnson + CULTURE. “With Cypress we’re providing a cost-effective, permanent community that brings affordable housing options as well as a village-like setting for supportive services.”
Cypress contains housing units ranging in size from 275 square feet to 350 square feet, each designed to meet LEED Gold levels of sustainability. Residents also share common areas that include a tv lounge, community kitchen, computer room and outdoor garden terrace. Rents for the units range from about 30% to 40% of the area median income, or AMI.
