A number of initiatives to address homelessness in San Bernardino County and city got underway this month, including a large affordable housing development and assistance to unhoused veterans, officials announced.
City and county agencies have partnered with nonprofit developer National CORE for the Adler Square affordable housing, the fourth phase of the Arrowhead Grove project. A groundbreaking event Nov. 4 officially commenced construction at the site, 575 E. Baseline St in San Bernardino.
Officials said Alder Square will be a high-quality, affordable housing community for low-income families in the city of San Bernardino, which is experiencing rapid growth and increasing investment. The plan calls for 91 apartments for individuals and families earning 30%-80% of the area median income, plus one apartment for an on-site manager. Units include 14 mobility-accessible apartments and 10 hearing-accessible dwellings.
Developed through a partnership between National CORE, the county Housing Authority, the city and county, Alder Square will join Crestview Terrace, Olive Meadows and Valencia Vista to total 414 units comprising the Arrowhead Grove complex. Residents will have access to amenities that include a pool, picnic area, children’s play area, community garden, dog run area, bicycle storage and an outdoor space for recreational games and public seating.
Housing Authority Executive Director Maria Razo noted the enduring partnership between the agency and National CORE.
“Our partnership has grown into a truly collaborative relationship, and we are united by our shared commitment to create high-quality affordable housing and thriving communities for the residents we serve,” Razo said in a statement. “Together, we’re proving that affordable housing can be transformative.”
In October the California Statewide Communities Development Authority announced roughly $33 million in tax-exempt affordable housing bonds for Arrowhead Grove Phase IV apartments. Capital One Bank and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP provided the bonds, according to the CSCDA.
The Arrowhead Grove project redevelops a former affordable housing site built in the 1940s known as Waterman Gardens.
The redevelopment is funded through public and private sources that include $4.5 million from the city’s Annual Action Plan for Phase IV; $3 million secured in 2023 by Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino, for a community resource center; a $15.8 million state grant from the Strategic Growth Council and grants such $1.4 million from the Southern California Association of Governments for EV charging stations. Additional funding includes federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, state cap and-trade funds and federal funds from the HOME-Investment Partnership program.
Construction of Alder Square is expected to complete in late 2027, officials said.
Permanent supportive housing for vets
The city of San Bernardino and nonprofit U.S. VETS are developing a permanent supportive housing project for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Officials said the city’s Housing Division will ask Mayor Helen Tran and the City Council this month to approve $4.9 million in project funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Upon approval, U.S. VETS will oversee the construction of a 30-unit housing complex at 1351 N. E St. in San Bernardino. The three-story, elevator-serviced building will feature one- and two-bedroom apartments for households earning 30%-50% of the area median income, which is just over $85,000 annually for households.
The complex will have an on-site building manager and on-site supportive services tailored to the needs of unhoused veterans. U.S. VETS and partner organizations will coordinate supportive services, according to the city.
Each unit at the E Street complex will have a modern kitchen and bathroom with essential appliances, officials said. Community amenities include a large public room, shared common spaces and an on-site laundry facility that aim to foster “a strong sense of community and neighborhood integration.”
On Tuesday the county Board of Supervisors approved a $5 million loan agreement to support the development of the E Street Veterans Apartments.
The project will transform about three-quarters of an acre of donated land into the 30-unit complex.
The county’s loan is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. The federal loan helps fill a financing gap for project with U.S. VETS as well as Kingdom AO and the Loma Linda VA Medical Center, county officials said.
Integrated services including case management, access to general and behavioral health care, career development and assistance applying for public benefits.
Construction on the veterans housing complex is expected to start in early 2026 and finish by summer 2027.
Rosemary’s story
Rosemary Ferrer had been a San Bernardino resident for 28 years when she and her family of six were evicted from their apartment with no explanation after living there for 10 years, county officials reported. The family remained homeless for three years.
“After placement on the waiting list at 7th and Waterman, where she was reconnected with Homeless Outreach Specialist Cynthia Thouvenel, whom she had met previously at the Mission of Riverside, Rosemary couldn’t thank the Outreach team enough. She stated, ‘I was giving up, it’s awful, it’s not good, especially when it’s not your fault,'” according to the city.
Rosemary shared that experiencing homelessness made her think of the song “Casas de Cartón (Houses of Cardboard),” because when she first got to the encampment at Waterman and 7th Street, “that’s what it looked like. There were so many homeless people,” the city reported.
County expands regional homeless services
The county Office of Homeless Services is entering into a roughly $654,000 agreement with Inland Housing Solutions to provide housing support, rapid rehousing and case management services in the Central Valley, East Desert and West Valley areas. Funded through the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 grant, the program will serve at least 47 individuals and families through June 30, 2027. This partnership calls for delivering regional solutions for homelessness prevention and permanent supportive housing.
Transitional assistance partnership
Supervisors approved a nonfinancial agreement between the county Transitional Assistance and the Children’s Fund to pay for emergency housing and essential needs for at-risk families. Transitional Assistance will refer eligible families, especially those with at least one child under age five, to the Children’s Fund’s Emergency Needs Program, which provides rapid rehousing, rental assistance and supportive services.
