Philanthropist Irwin Jacobs on Monday announced a $50 million donation to Father Joe’s Villages to help fund a three-building, 18-story complex at the corner of Imperial Avenue and 15th Street in downtown San Diego’s East Village.
The gift is the largest single donation in the organization’s history and will be used to partly fund the biggest development project it’s ever undertaken. The project, which will be called the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Family Campus, is expected to cost approximately $350 million and should break ground in 2028, according to officials.
Father Joe’s is the region’s largest homeless services provider and offers a range of services, including shelter, healthcare, resource navigation, case management and employment assistance.
The donation and Father Joe’s new complex were announced during a news conference at the site of the project that was attended by Jacobs, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, county Supervisor Paloma Aguirre and Father Joe’s President Jim Vargas.
The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Family Campus will have more than 500 affordable units, including 150 for older adults and 77 for transitional housing, according to the project’s developers, Arete Development.
Artist rendering of what the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Family Campus at Father Joe’s Village will look like. It was announced Monday September 28, 2026, in San Diego California that Irwin Jacobs, co-founder of Qualcomm is making a $50 million dollar donation in partnership with and Father Joe’s Villages to build more than 500 affordable homes, and 150 apartments for senior citizens. (Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Adults over 55 are one of the fastest growing demographics of people falling into homelessness, alarming local advocates and experts. More than half of unsheltered older adults are experiencing homelessness for the first time, according to the county.
“What does it say about our region if our aging population is unable to retire in peace in what should be their golden years,” said Vargas.
Jacobs’ donation comes amid a growing demand on local organizations to take on additional services as federal, state and local governments tighten their budgets for homelessness and housing programs.
Gloria applauded Jacobs for his family’s philanthropic efforts across the city. He also reiterated San Diego’s commitment to addressing homelessness through a housing-first approach.
“In a city, state, nation as wealthy as ours, no one should live on the streets,” said Gloria. “And thanks to this gift, fewer will.”
Jacobs, 92, gained his wealth as a co-founder of the San Diego-based technology giant Qualcomm. In 2010, Jacobs signed the Giving Pledge — a promise and organization created by Bill Gates, Gates’ ex-wife Melinda French and Warren Buffett that prompted wealthy people to donate half of their riches by the time they died.
Irwin Jacobs, co-founder of Qualcomm, talks, Monday September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California, talks after it was announced that he is making a $50 million dollar donation in partnership with Father Joe’s Villages to build the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Family Campus, which will create more than 500 affordable homes, and 150 apartments for senior citizens. (Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“There’s only so many things we can do ourselves and spend money in a useful way,” Jacobs said. “After that, the greatest pleasure is being able to help others.”
The Joan and Irwin Family Campus will be built atop and require the demolition of the aging Joan Kroc Center — which offers housing, shelter and intake services for families and single adults.
The Joan Kroc Center is also where services will be directed once the Neil Good Day Center closes its doors this week. When asked what will happen to the services while the new complex is under construction, which could take up to four years, Vargas said they would be transferred to the organization’s facility at 5th Avenue and Ash Street.
While the project has a little more than 14% of its funding secured, the rest will need to come from state and federal grants or philanthropy. After the news conference, Gloria could not guarantee city funds could be made available for the project, but did say, “If they ask, we’ll consider it.”
“I think that a project of this magnitude really is worthy of city investment, but they have not mentioned that yet,” he said. “But when chatting with them, they have mentioned the likely use of tax credits, which would be absolutely reasonable for this project. When (or) if they submit for that, I suspect that we would submit letters of support for it.”
When asked if she would approach the Board of Supervisors to consider using county funds on the project, Aguirre said that it was “too early right now to answer that question.”