Unique New Project Breaks Ground in Imperial Beach

Area elected officials, community members, and partners gathered in Imperial Beach Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking for a unique new project that brings together vital neighborhood services and affordable housing for seniors at one site. When it opens in early 2028, the new Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center will create long-awaited facilities for community services that address food insecurity and homelessness, while an adjacent affordable housing community, The Haven at Palm, will provide 50 homes for seniors facing housing instability, including 25 homes designated for seniors who have experienced homelessness.

Behind the wide-ranging development are two local nonprofits: the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center, which has long-served the Imperial Beach community, and Wakeland Housing, a San Diego affordable housing developer that has created 9,500 affordable homes since 1998.

“For 10 years, we pursued the dream of this new campus, believing this day would come,” said Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center Executive Director John Griffin Atil. Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center, founded from the former Imperial Beach United Methodist Church, continues its legacy of serving neighbors in need through partnerships with organizations like UCSD, Coronado Rotary, local churches, Mission of Love, Grocery Outlet, YMCA, and generous individual donors.

“We know that affordable housing and services provide the stability needed to prevent our neighbors who are struggling with high housing costs from falling into homelessness,” said Wakeland Housing President and CEO Rebecca Louie. “Together, the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center and The Haven at Palm create a stronger future for Imperial Beach by addressing these community needs and helping people thrive.”

Through its new facility, the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center will operate as a collaborative agency, partnering with local organizations and programs to improve the wellbeing of Imperial Beach residents with essential services including food distribution, wellness programs, and other neighborhood resources.

Low-income seniors, meanwhile, will benefit from stable affordable housing paired with onsite health and wellness services at The Haven at Palm residential community, provided by San Diego PACE, as well as Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center services, ensuring continued support, connection, and care. This combination of housing and services helps older adults find stability and maintain independence as they age.

Designed by Studio E Architects and built by Allgire General Contractors, the development is located on a site that has been committed to serving the Imperial Beach community for more than 80 years through its past as the Imperial Beach United Methodist Church and as the location of the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center.

“We are proud of this opportunity to transform church property into much-needed housing and neighborhood services. Our Imperial Beach project reflects a broader movement among faith communities aligning their resources and ministries with the current spiritual and physical needs of their communities,” said Rev. Paige Eaves of the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church, who works on property development projects in the denomination.

The project was made possible through a collaborative public-private financing structure, with key funding partners, including the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the City of Imperial Beach, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, the County of San Diego, and Bank of America.

“It’s so important to help our local seniors age with dignity in San Diego, and today’s groundbreaking at the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center and The Haven at Palm is a step closer to bringing 50 new homes to Imperial Beach seniors. Bank of America was proud to provide construction and equity financing to this public-private effort,” said Anthony DiBlasi, San Diego president, Bank of America.

About Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center

IB Neighborhood Center is committed to nurturing hope and empowering neighbors to build a community in action. We believe lasting change happens through collaboration, volunteerism, and shared purpose. Though not a church, IBNC is affiliated with the California Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church and embodies its call to “do all the good you can.” Learn more at https://IBNeighbor.org.

About Wakeland Housing

Wakeland Housing transforms lives and communities with high-quality affordable and supportive housing paired with impactful resident services. With 9,500 homes across more than 70 properties, Wakeland creates housing that serves as a foundation for health, stability, and opportunity for low-income families, seniors, veterans, and individuals who have experienced homelessness. Learn more at www.wakelandhdc.com.