Jan. 30 was a cloudy and cool day in San Diego. But nothing could chill the sense of excitement and accomplishment as community leaders and supporters gathered for the ribbon cutting of one of the most exciting developments Serving Seniors has been involved with in its 55 year history of supporting older adults in San Diego County: the new Paul Downey Senior Residence and Judith L. Seltz Senior Wellness Center in Clairemont.
The development is northwest of the major intersection of Balboa Avenue and Genesee Avenue in Claremont at 5257 Mt. Etna Drive, where the county crime lab and the former community hospital once stood.
The Paul Downey Senior Residence was named to honor our longtime president and CEO by the board of directors. Paul will retire in May after 30 years of leadership and service to the community, and it is the honor of my life to step into his role at CEO. Believe me, they are big shoes to fill, but I’m up for the challenge.
Our board did its best to try and keep it a secret, but to no avail. Our board chairperson Mary Gendron admitted Paul is simply too smart and well connected. The building will provide a legacy for his family for years to come.
“I never imagined seeing my name on a building. I’m overwhelmed by this honor,” Paul told us. “It represents a lifetime of effort to deliver the high quality affordable housing our older adult neighbors deserve in San Diego. It is vital to our overall quality of life. I don’t intend to stop, as the need remains great.”
The building offers 79 units for low-income older adults. Residents will begin moving in beginning in mid-February, with a community open house scheduled in March. We can’t wait to welcome them.
In addition to the new housing, the building will be home to the new Judith L. Seltz Wellness Center. It is a breathtaking space with floor-to-ceiling windows and will offer meals, health services, workshops and classes, case management, and social activities.
The wellness center includes a kitchen where Serving Seniors will serve meals daily, including hot lunches and to-go bags for breakfast the next day. The center will be open Monday through Friday.
The complex is within walking distance of existing public transportation, shopping, and services, including a new Aldi grocery store steps from the entrance. The wellness center will be open to the public daily. Volunteer opportunities will allow members of the community to get to know and support their neighbors.
The wellness center was named through the support of the Seltz Trust. Administrator Roy Katzen lives in the Clairemont neighborhood not far from this project. He has watched the entire progress of the project from the ground up and will be a regular visitor to the center after it opens. Seltz is Roy’s cousin, and he runs the trust in his late cousin’s name.
Serving Seniors partnered with its long-time collaborator, Chelsea Investment Corporation, in developing the housing and center. Emerson Construction is building the housing and senior center.
Two additional residential buildings for all ages are scheduled for completion in 2026 with 58 set aside for tenants with disabilities. The fourth building, scheduled to open in spring of 2026, will provide an additional 95 units of housing for low-income older adults. The campus will have a total of 404 apartments and offer intergenerational activities and programming for all residents.
As our region continues to contend with the challenges of stemming the number of older adults experiencing homelessness, progress can seem far too slow. It isn’t easy to develop projects like our new housing in Clairemont. It took many years of discussion and input from community members who were concerned about impacting the character of their neighborhoods nearby.
But as John F. Kennedy said about American efforts to land on the moon, “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.” I encourage you to read the entire speech on the JFK Library website.
At Serving Seniors, we intend to win the fight against older adult homelessness. San Diegans must press forward in developing affordable housing. In doing so, step by step we will start seeing homelessness decrease, and the quality of life increase for all residents.
Melinda Forstey is CEO-designate of Serving Seniors.
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