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More doors are opening for low-income seniors in search of affordable housing.

Terrasini Senior Apartments celebrated a grand opening today at 5257 Mount Etna Drive, offering new opportunities for older adults seeking stable housing in Clairemont.

This new five-story, 95-unit affordable development for adults age 62 and older marks the completion of the Mt. Etna intergenerational housing campus on the former County Crime Lab site. The campus near Genesee Avenue and Balboa Avenue now includes four multi‑story apartment buildings and 404 homes designed to serve seniors and families in need.

The campus features Terrasini, Modica Family Apartments with 94 units, Taormina Family Apartments with 136 units and Paul Downey Senior Residences with 79 units.

Recent Point-in-Time Count data shows older adults represent one of the fastest-growing populations experiencing homelessness, often due to job loss, illness or the death of a spouse. Affordable housing options like Terrasini are essential to helping seniors remain stable and independent.

New residents will be moving into studio and one-bedroom units equipped with full kitchens, including refrigerators, ovens and ranges. The Clairemont property is within walking distance of a pharmacy, grocery store, restaurants, retail, medical services and multiple San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus lines.

All four housing phases at Mt. Etna were developed by Chelsea Investment Corp., with supportive services provided by Serving Seniors.

The Mt. Etna campus reflects the success of public-private partnerships and a regional commitment to increasing affordable housing. The County invested $7.25 million from its Innovative Housing Trust Fund in Terrasini. Overall, the County invested $15 million across the campus while also providing the property, valued at $21 million.

Seniors interested in living at the Mt. Etna campus can access an interest list online.

Since 2017, the County of San Diego has invested more than $334 million in affordable housing through excess County land, the Innovative Housing Trust Fund and other state, federal, and local sources. These investments have created more than 3,445 homes, with another 2,610 currently in development.

More information about the County’s housing initiatives is available through the County’s Housing Hub.