Bay Park Senior Apartments Reopen After $17.7M Renovation Boost

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An affordable housing complex for seniors in Bay Park, San Diego, has officially reopened following a $17.7 million renovation project that preserved its affordability and brought the facility up to modern standards.

Cerro Pueblo Apartments, which provides housing for low-income seniors, underwent an extensive upgrade after its federal housing subsidies were at risk of expiration. The 46-unit complex, originally built in 1978, had been in danger of losing its affordability designation when its funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was set to expire in 2022.

Thanks to a major investment by the Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, the RAHD Group, a local developer specializing in affordable housing, was able to revamp the property and extend its affordability for decades. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and other community leaders attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the reopening. In a symbolic moment, 95-year-old resident Alice Goldman, a longtime tenant of 20 years, held oversized scissors and helped cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Cerro Pueblo Apartments offers units reserved for senior residents earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income (AMI), which currently ranges from $34,750 to $69,500 annually for a single occupant in San Diego.

As part of the renovation process, all residents were temporarily relocated to a nearby hotel at no cost while their homes were being modernized. The refurbishment included new roofing, updated laundry facilities, and accessibility improvements. According to a spokesperson for RAHD Group, 10% of the units were upgraded to meet the latest standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At the same time, the rest of the building was brought in line with current HUD accessibility requirements.

Tim Walsh, a partner at RAHD Group, emphasized the project’s long-term benefits. “By revitalizing the site and extending the affordability of these homes for decades to come, these buildings will serve as guaranteed homes for generations of seniors,” Walsh said.

In addition to the physical improvements, Catholic Charities secured a grant from HUD to provide on-site social services for the residents. These services include property management and a full-time activity coordinator to improve quality of life and offer seniors support beyond housing.

The collaboration between the nonprofit Catholic Charities and RAHD Group reflects a growing emphasis on public-private partnerships in preserving and improving affordable housing stock, especially for aging populations. With a rising number of older adults on fixed incomes, developments like Cerro Pueblo are becoming increasingly important in California’s housing landscape.

Residents have now returned to their updated apartments and are settling back into their community. The project has been seen as a positive example of how local partnerships can help preserve housing security for vulnerable populations while ensuring that older buildings meet modern safety and accessibility standards.

The reopening of Cerro Pueblo Apartments not only provides affordable housing in the Bay Park neighborhood but also offers a model for other aging properties across the state facing the end of federal subsidies.