Wakeland Breaks Ground on $48M Imperial Beach Senior Housing Project

• Wakeland Housing and Development has broken ground on The Haven on Palm at 455 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach, California.
• The $48 million project will deliver 50 affordable senior apartments, with 25 homes reserved for seniors exiting homelessness.
• The development also includes a new Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center, with completion expected in early 2028.

What Wakeland Housing Is Building

Wakeland Housing and Development is moving forward with The Haven on Palm, a three-story affordable housing community replacing the former Imperial Beach United Methodist Church at 455 Palm Avenue. Construction officially began September 3, 2026, after the project spent several years moving through approvals and financing. The 50 apartments will serve seniors, with half of the homes designated for residents transitioning out of homelessness. Wakeland will own and lease the apartments, creating a long-term affordable housing asset in the coastal San Diego County market.

What The $48M Development Includes

The project combines residential housing with neighborhood services. The adjacent Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center will provide food assistance and other community support programs, creating a service-oriented campus alongside the senior apartments. The development has been structured through a mix of public, private and community funding. The County of San Diego contributed $6 million and 25 housing vouchers, while additional funding comes from organizations including the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, California Community Reinvestment Corporation and Bank of America.

What The Development Team Is Delivering

Studio E Architects is leading the design, while Allgire General Contractors is serving as general contractor. Wakeland Housing is the lead developer, working alongside the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center on the broader project. The project was originally approved by Imperial Beach in 2022. City records identify the development as a 50-unit affordable senior housing and neighborhood center project and show that the approvals were subsequently extended while Wakeland finalized financing and prepared for construction.

What The Project Means For Imperial Beach

The Haven on Palm converts a former church site into a combined affordable housing and community-services development. For the local real estate market, the project adds purpose-built senior housing while retaining a community-serving use on a prominent Palm Avenue property. Wakeland expects the project to be completed in early 2028, giving Imperial Beach another significant affordable housing asset while bringing a new neighborhood center to the same site.