Jamboree’s Emerald Cove, an affordable housing community for seniors, is Jamboree’s second collaboration with the City of Huntington Beach, which was the previous long-term landlord of the property. Jamboree acquired and rehabilitated the property in 2011 with support from the City. Due to the very quick turnaround efforts of California-based ICON Builders, the general contractor in charge of the renovation, the longest displacement time experienced by any Emerald Cove resident was only four days. The expedited completion was especially important for both Jamboree and the City of Huntington Beach, who were taking into account the age and unique needs of many of the residents.
Renovations to the property’s exterior included the repair and replacement of roofs, paving, fencing, new windows, doors, stucco and wood siding. The spacious community room was gutted and redesigned to enhance interaction, accessibility and accommodate the current needs of residents. Extensive rehabilitation brought the entire community up to accessibility standards. Interior renovations included kitchen and bathroom upgrades, ENERGY STAR appliances and water-saving plumbing.
With the help of incentive funding from the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program, residents benefit directly from renewable solar energy that lowers utility bills. Some 93% of bill credits are allocated to residents and 7% to common areas, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 33 tons a year – equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 26 homes.
More than 20,000 seniors reside in Huntington Beach, many of whom are in need of affordable housing. Jamboree’s partnership with the City, investors and property management allowed for improvements to the community and the preservation of Emerald Cove’s affordability for the long-term. The result is high-quality housing with resident services that enrich the lives of local active seniors in Southern California.
