SAN DIEGO—Affirmed Housing Group celebrated the grand opening of the 14-story Connections Housing residential center in downtown San Diego this week. The event, held March 11, was attended by 700 San Diegans and local dignitaries. Located in the building that formerly housed San Diego's World Trade Center, the multi-purpose $38 million project provides permanent housing and services for downtown San Diego's homeless.

Connections Housing offers housing and social and health services in one location to reduce street homelessness. Located at 1250 Sixth Avenue, the residence provides 223 housing units, including 73 permanent studio apartments and 150 transitional housing beds; a health center that offers comprehensive preventive and primary care, mental health care, and support services; and approximately 30 nonprofit and San Diego partners delivering services onsite.

Affirmed Housing Group partnered with PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), a group of agencies working to end homelessness, and Family Health Centers in San Diego, a community clinic organization that provides affordable healthcare, to develop and manage the Connections Housing project. The project's goal is to reduce homelessness in the downtown neighborhood, and be an example of how other neighborhoods can help the nearly 10,000 homeless individuals in the San Diego region. The center is supported by partners such as US Bank, the San Diego Housing Commission, and the City of San Diego.