North Park Seniors

San Diego’s First LGBT-Affirming Senior Community

@ 4200 Texas Street, San Diego (San Diego County)

Competed: 2017 (new construction)

North Park Seniors offers 76 apartments at San Diego’s first LGBT-affirming affordable senior complex – at its completion, one of a handful across the country. Open to all, North Park Seniors provides an affirming and supportive community. The San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center) provides supportive services to all residents and worked for a decade with CHW to gain support and funding for the complex. CHW designed and entitled North Park Seniors as the affordable portion of a 194 unit, transit-oriented, mixed-income development. CHW engaged a major residential developer to build out the 118 market-rate portion. CHW’s creative interpretation of density bonus incentives created more affordable apartments on the combined site, an interpretation that was later adopted into local law.

Highlights:

  • Located near transportation, the new Rapid Bus Line, the Regional Bike Corridor, shopping, restaurants, healthcare, and job centers 
  • Community garden planters, and barbeque with outdoor eating area 
  • Community room with kitchen, community computers and free Wi-Fi hotspot 
  • Energy and water efficiencies: solar photovoltaic system, energy efficient dual paned windows, carpet with recycled content, solar heated hot water, high efficiency lighting 
  • 100% ADA accessible, with 8 full ADA compliant apartments, and 4 apartments adapted for residents with visual and hearing impairments 
  • Eight permanent supportive housing apartments for homeless seniors 
  • Public art by local artist, Stone Paper Scissors 
  • Resident success supported by The Center’s senior resident services