Community
Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa
TURNING THE KEY
At its core , San Diego ’ s
homelessness crisis is a housing crisis .
Due to San Diego ’ s record-breaking rent and housing prices and one of the nation ’ s lowest vacancy rates , affordable housing is the largest barrier to solving homelessness . With an increasing number of individuals and families spending more than half of their income on housing , many are only a few paychecks away from homelessness .
To help combat San Diego ’ s housing crisis , Father Joe ’ s Villages has pledged to add 2,000 units of affordable housing to San Diego through their Turning the
Key Initiative . As part of this initiative , in January of 2020 , Father Joe ’ s Villages and partner Chelsea Investment Corporation began construction on an innovative new affordable housing community , Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa , which will provide 407 housing units for vulnerable families , seniors , veterans , and people with disabilities who are at risk of or overcoming homelessness . Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa will not only prevent and end the homelessness of more than 500 individuals , it will provide a supportive community where they can thrive .
Joseph and his 7-yearold daughter , Abigail , are two of those individuals . After falling on hard times , Joseph and Abigail are finally moving out of the hotel they have lived in for three months and into a two-bedroom
86 GBSAN . COM | FEBRUARY 2022