Jamboree and City of Santa Ana unveil new affordable housing motel conversion

Estrella Springs transforms underused Budget Inn into permanent supportive housing for veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness

Santa Ana, Calif. - Local nonprofit housing developer Jamboree Housing Corporation and the City of Santa Ana hosted a grand opening celebration on Wednesday, November 13, for Estrella Springs, an adaptive reuse and rehabilitation development for veterans and others.

Estrella Springs offer permanent supportive housing with supportive services for veterans experiencing homelessness and those living with a mental health diagnosis who earn up to 30% of the area median income (AMI). The development was made possible through partnerships between Jamboree, a statewide nonprofit leader in creating affordable housing, and numerous state and local organizations.

"Our veterans experiencing homelessness deserve more than just affordable housing," said Laura Archuleta, President and CEO of Jamboree. "Estrella Springs was built to offer them a fresh start - a place where they not only find a home, but a community that has their backs and enables them to move forward with hope and support."

The City of Santa Ana has been especially active in this area: since 2019, Santa Ana has built more affordable housing than every other city in Orange County and reduced homelessness by 19% more than every other city combined. With the completion of Estrella Springs, Santa Ana is one of the first cities in the county to meet its allocation of permanent supportive housing units under the county's regional Housing Funding Strategy adopted in 2018.

"I want to thank Jamboree Housing and all of the partners that made Estrella Springs possible," Mayor Valerie Amezcua said. "With the completion of Estrella Springs, the City of Santa Ana has now helped build over 100 permanent supportive housing units specifically for homeless veterans. Santa Ana is now home to the largest number of permanent supportive housing units for formerly homeless veterans in all of Orange County."

Previously an underused Budget Inn, this heavily refurbished development in the Santa Ana Mixed Use Corridor District now provides 89 fully furnished studio apartments. The property underwent a full-scale structural and interior renovation; units now include new kitchens, new heating and air, updated bathroom cabinetry, new vinyl plank flooring, interior paint, and a two-burner electric stove top, refrigerator, and microwave in each unit.

A new 4,347-square-foot, two-story community center features dedicated service and amenity spaces for residents and onsite staff. This center will be a hub for case management, activities, programming, and provide a lounge area for residents, as well as property management offices.

Additional amenities include a computer lab, fitness stations, a basketball half-court, dog run, community garden, individual storage, and two laundry rooms. Sustainable enhancements to the property and landscaping advance the City of Santa Ana's Green Initiative, lowering energy consumption and increasing water conservation.

Supportive services specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of residents at Estrella Springs will be overseen by Jamboree and provided by Orange County Health Care Agency and the Heroes Landing Community Collaborative, another Jamboree property exclusively for veterans in Santa Ana, located a mile from Estrella Springs. These services help to ensure the health and stability necessary for these formerly homeless residents to successfully live independently.

Franz Washington, a veteran and resident of Estrella Springs, plans to make the most of the supportive services.

"I got a lot of peace, I don't have to look over my shoulder," said Washington. "I've been sleeping with one eye open for the past three years. I'm still coming to terms with it, but now I've got a positive outlook, collecting retirement, and connecting with the VA. I have high hopes for the future, and Estrella Springs has really been the stepping stone for a change in my life."

Funding for Estrella Springs came from a diverse group of public and private partners. The City of Santa Ana contributed $1.7 million in CDBG funds from HUD, along with a total of 89 project-based vouchers, including 34 HUD-VASH vouchers for veterans experiencing homelessness. Chase Bank provided a $16.1 million permanent loan, while Red Stone Equity Partners contributed $18.3 million in tax credit equity. Additional support came from state and local sources. The California Department of Housing and Community Development, through its VHHP Program, provided $10 million. CalOptima Health added a $4.7 million grant, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco provided an $890,000 AHP grant. The Orange County Housing Finance Trust supported the project with $3.5 million in a residual receipt loan, and The Home Depot Foundation provided a $500,000 grant.

"CalOptima Health is proud to partner with Jamboree Housing to create 89 units of critically needed permanent supportive housing," said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health. "As Orange County's single largest health insurer, we know that care goes beyond the doctor's office. Housing is health, and our $4.7 million investment in Estrella Springs means that more of our members will have the foundation they need for healthier lives."

"There continues to be a vital need for more affordable and supportive housing in Santa Ana and opportunities to shelter those experiencing homelessness, including our veterans," said Cécile Chalifour, Head of the West Region, Chase Community Development Banking. "We're committed to working with industry leaders like Jamboree Housing to help close that housing gap by supporting communities that will bring more permanent housing with supportive services to those who need it most."

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About Santa Ana

Santa Ana is downtown for the world-famous Orange County, California. It is the County Seat, headquarters to national corporations including a Fortune 500 company, and home to a vibrant evening scene and arts community. Over 1,700 City of Santa Ana employees work hard every day to deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community to ensure public safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality of life for residents. Learn more at www.santa-ana.org.

About Jamboree

Founded in 1990, Irvine, CA-headquartered Jamboree Housing Corporation is an award-winning, broad-based nonprofit housing development company that develops, acquires, renovates, and manages permanently affordable rental and ownership housing throughout California for working families, seniors, veterans, transitional age youth, and people with special needs. A leading community development organization, Jamboree is committed to sustaining excellence with high quality affordable housing that benefits the environment, the economy and local communities.

Jamboree currently oversees a $3.2 billion asset portfolio of affordable housing with ownership interest in more than 11,000 homes across 110 communities in California, and another $1.1 billion in the development pipeline. Resident services with designated staff that foster learning, health and wellness, and community building are offered onsite at many Jamboree properties.

For more information, visit jamboreehousing.com and follow Jamboree on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram at @JamboreeHousing.

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