RHF’s Congregational Place Slated to be Filled to Capacity this Summer

In fall 2025, project partners and local leaders welcomed media for a behind-the-scenes tour of Congregational Place, a new affordable housing community for low-income seniors nearing completion in downtown Chula Vista, Calif. The tour included speakers and a first look at the new building’s interior.

The seven-story affordable housing community—part of Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) based in Long Beach, Calif.—will offer 56 one-bedroom apartments and an on-site health care clinic for income- and age-eligible older adults. 

“With the growing need for more affordable housing, Congregational Place will be an important addition to the South Bay community, particularly for seniors on fixed incomes,” said Stuart Hartman, president & CEO of RHF.

Congregational Place is RHF’s first project to include an on-site clinic and Chula Vista’s second development of this type. The project integrates housing with healthcare through a 2,083 square-foot ground-floor PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) clinic operated by San Ysidro Health. The clinic will serve both building residents and qualifying seniors throughout the South Bay region.

The new affordable housing community also will feature accessible units for mobility and sensory impairments, a large outdoor terrace, gathering spaces, and resident programming. It is within walking distance of Chula Vista’s senior center, library, transit, and shopping.

“Congregational Place was built to serve seniors in our community who need stable, affordable housing and access to care,” said Ruth Jones, president of RHF partner the Community Congregational Development Corporation (CCDC).

The project is responding to a pressing regional need. According to the 2023 Point-in-Time Count, 26 percent of San Diego County’s unhoused persons are age 55 or older. Additionally, California ranks 50th nationally in older adult housing affordability, according to America’s Health Rankings 2024 report. As the cost of housing continues to rise, older adults—particularly those on fixed incomes—face increasing difficulty remaining in their communities.

Congregational Place is schedule to be completed and garner the required approvals to move residents in sometime this month. “We anticipate having it full sometime this summer,” said Chris Ragon, RHF vice president of communications.