Questions swirl around Windsor Pointe lease

This is Part 2 of the Windsor Pointe series. This part looks at concerns from neighbors regarding the lease, Affirmed Housing’s business operations and political donations

Carlsbad residents have longed filed complaints regarding the two Windsor Pointe developments in the Barrio. Residents near the Harding Street building have cited a list of issues and crime and are calling for the facilities to be shut down or repurposed. Steve Puterski photo

CARLSBAD — Tension and nerves are tight for many living near the controversial Windsor Pointe development in the Barrio.

For nearly two years, residents have been lodging complaints and concerns as some of the project’s residents have disrupted a once-quiet neighborhood. The issue continues to manifest and the City Council will receive an update during Tuesday’s council meeting.

The development houses low-income and homeless people along with those with serious mental illness. San Diego County approved millions, while Carlsbad added $8 million in loans, in funding for the No Place Like Home program, a low-to-no-barrier effort to get SMI individuals off the street and into housing. 

Regardless, many neighbors will attend Tuesday’s meeting to lodge their complaints and express their experiences. Denis Jensen, along with several others who wanted to remain anonymous due to potential backlash from Windsor Pointe tenants, have been vocal in their opposition and are demanding the city remove the NPLH component.

“As a neighbor said, after 762 first responder calls in two years, the city and county comprehensively got us into this mess, they can comprehensively get us out of it,” Jensen said in an email to San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who he met with last week. “The community is aligned on this and we’re an army of neighbors, parents and soccer moms all eagerly awaiting action. Please show us that your leadership can get results and that you are Carlsbad's right choice for the next election. We know that there are other similar supportive housing projects in the works and I’m sure you don’t want us to have to speak about what a terrible experience we’ve had living next to one and now remedying this one.”

The city is the landlord, while Affirmed Housing developed the property and ConAm manages the property. Affirmed contracts with Interfaith Community Services, while the Mobile Crisis Response Team and Alpha Project also offer their services through larger contracts via the county.

However, neighbors have questioned the legitimacy and competency of the service providers as those living nearby have reached out to Affirmed and others, but their complaints have gone nowhere. Neighbors have voiced their concerns about crimes, sex offenders, drugs and possible prostitution as some of their concerns.

A woman named, Kim, and other neighbors asked not to be identified, said many parents will not allow their kids to walk to nearby Jefferson Elementary School.

“Over the last two years, I think I’ve seen security like 30 times,” a source said. “And on those days it’s quiet. There’s no real activity. But it’s frustrating, too, because Affirmed Housing at the City Council was talking about safety they were like because we have so much security they’re safer for residents because we’re looking out for the community. That’s just a load of sh-t.”

Jensen and many others are also voicing concerns over the lease between the city and Affirmed Housing, the developer’s business history and political donations, to name a few.

Questions to Affirmed Housing and ConAm were not returned.

As residents ramped up their concerns last year, so did the Carlsbad Police Chief Mickey Williams and Homeless Services Director Mandy Mills. Lindsey Hansen, a spokeswoman for the city, said Affirmed Housing, ConAm, the County of San Diego and its service providers have been responsive in making several immediate changes to address concerns.

Those include increasing onsite security, video surveillance and onsite supportive services. In addition, the city, Affirmed and ConAm will conduct ongoing collaboration to actively monitor and address issues, Hansen said.

“Staff have identified several additional actions that would allow Windsor Pointe to better serve the needs of its residents while being a good neighbor to the surrounding community,” she added.