Avocado Court in Escondido, Calif., is home to families and form…
Avocado Court in Escondido, Calif., is home to families and formerly homeless, disabled veterans. The development offers an array of services for all the populations, including a caseworker for the veterans, financial literacy classes for adult residents, and educational programs and activities for the children.
MARK DAVIDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
The transit-oriented development incorporates many energy- and w…
The transit-oriented development incorporates many energy- and water-saving features. It also touts having the first GeoPower system installation in the United States, which was donated by the Japanese company. The geothermal HVAC system takes fresh air into the earth through tubes to stabilize the temperature before going back in to the building. In its first year of operation, the system has saved more than 60 percent on heating and cooling costs.
MARK DAVIDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Community HousingWorks partnered with the city of Escondido to c…
Community HousingWorks partnered with the city of Escondido to create a 9,400-square-foot community garden, which is open to Avocado Court residents and members of the surrounding neighborhood. The garden promotes healthy eating habits, helps residents save money on groceries, and engages an intergenerational group of individuals.
MARK DAVIDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
The development has been designed to accommodate the needs of fa…
The development has been designed to accommodate the needs of families, including larger units, outdoor picnic tables and barbecues, walking paths, and innovative and structurally artistic play equipment.
An underutilized corner of land with dilapidated single-family homes in Escondido, Calif., has grown into a vibrant affordable housing community for families and veterans.
Avocado Court, completed in January 2013 by Community HousingWorks, has 36 units, of which eight are set aside for homeless, disabled veterans. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s McKinney-Vento Supportive Housing Program helps support the vets’ units.
“Avocado Court creates a different kind of community that is very supportive of the needs of everyone,” says Sylvia Martinez, senior project manager at Community HousingWorks.
Paying tribute to Escondido’s agricultural heritage, the developer partnered with the city to create a 9,400-square-foot community garden for residents and the surrounding neighborhood. An orchard of fruit trees and edible plants also can be found throughout the site.
Financing for the $11.2 million development included low-income housing tax credit equity from Bank of America Merrill Lynch as well as Neighborhood Stabilization Program, HOME, and redevelopment funds from the city.
In addition, a Japanese company donated a geothermal HVAC system to the energy-efficient property.
Christine Serlin is an editor for Affordable Housing Finance and Multifamily Executive. She has covered the affordable housing industry since 2001. Before that, she worked at several daily newspapers, including the Contra Costa Times and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Connect with Christine at cserlin@questex.com
or follow her on Twitter @ChristineSerlin.
