1. St. Vincent’s Affordable Housing Just Months from Completion
2. St. Vincent de Paul Village Thrift Store/Warehouse Auction Centers Directory

St. Vincent’s Affordable Housing Just Months from Completion
By Staff Writers

   Almost 70 percent complete, the Villa Harvey Mandel (VHM) has a high profile among forthcoming affordable housing units in San Diego. For months, its erector-set outline has dominated the Interstate 5 embankment as drivers near Imperial Avenue.

   Rising six stories high, VHM features 90 studio apartments and five 1-bedroom units for single adults on fixed incomes, costing on average $500 a month. At the request of Center City Development Corporation and the City of San Diego, 25 units will be reserved for individuals living with mental illness.

   Father Joe’s Villages broke ground on the $9 million project on March 4, 2002 and held a topping-off ceremony last August 14. By October all the concrete floor slabs had been poured and work began on a 70 by 40 foot mosaic of volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul Village, adorning the 16th Avenue wall of VHM.

   Father Joe calls the VHM “the gateway to East Village. It will be the first building people see as they exit Interstate 5 on their way to the new ballpark or other notable East Village establishments,” he says. “It meets not only a key need in San Diego for providing affordable housing, it also takes a key step toward beautifying the East Village.”

   Village Harvey Mandel is named in honor of the Villages’ late vice president, who recognized the need for low-income housing downtown and put the wheels in motion for the building.

   Residents of VHM will have access to all St. Vincent de Paul Village’s programs, including free medical and dental care and complete counseling services.