Poway site eyed for special needs apartments
The City of Poway and two non-profits have entered into negotiations that could result in the development of a 54-unit apartment complex designed to accommodate adults with developmental disabilities.
The City Council earlier this month unanimously agreed to a one-year exclusive negotiating agreement with the Pasadena-based Villa de Vida and its development partner, Mercy Housing California.
In March Villa de Vida approached the city regarding a 3.18-acre lot owned by the Poway Housing Authority (a successor to the now-defunct redevelopment agency) at 12341 Oak Knoll Road. The city had purchased the property from the county in early 2011 with the intention of using it for future development of affordable housing. It is currently being used for storage of auto dealer inventory.
According to a staff report prepared for the meeting, Villa de Vida was founded “in response to the growing need for permanent housing for adults with developmental disabilities, of which the majority of them are under the care of aging parents. Their mission is to enable adults with special needs to live as independently as possible by building residential communities that meet the needs of each resident.”
The group’s website indicates this will be its first project and that it will be using Casa de Amma in San Juan Capistrano, created in 2004, as its model for Poway. Edward Merchant, a retired physician, is listed as chairman of Villa de Vida.
“As the proud father of a son with special needs, I can personally attest to the need for person-centered, supportive housing,” Merchant said in a press statement following the City Council’s vote.
The city staff report said that Mercy has extensive experience building affordable housing throughout the country, having developed, preserved, or financed over 45,800 homes. In California, Mercy’s largest division, the non-profit has developed 10,942 affordable homes. Of these, 2,372 have been for individuals with special needs.
As part of the vote to begin the one-year exclusive negotiating period, the council appropriated $25,000 for legal fees and $25,000 for real estate and financial consulting fees from the housing authority’s undesignated fund balance.
