June 11, 2025
Affordable Senior Housing in Borrego Springs
Share
Updates from the Borrego Revitalization Meeting, June 2025
At the Borrego Revitalization Meeting on June 5, 2025, held at the Borrego Springs Library, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, his staff, and other county officials joined community leaders to discuss major updates impacting Borrego’s future.
Among the speakers was Honorary Mayor Daniel Wright, who presented encouraging news about expanded senior and youth programs—including free meal delivery, wellness services, and medical equipment loans—before outlining progress on the Village Campus Project, a new initiative led by the Wellsprings Community Foundation to build safe, affordable housing for low-income seniors.
Wright’s remarks highlighted how local nonprofits, public agencies, and county leadership are working together to improve quality of life in Borrego Springs.
Remarks by Honorary Mayor Daniel Wright
-----------------------------------------------------
In partnership with Meals on Wheels of San Diego County, we are delivering around 500 free meals per month to the homebound folks in the Valley, which allows us a chance to check on their well-being as well as making sure they have healthy meals.
The Seniors Community Center also offers free loans of medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, and more. The center offers fitness, wellness, and social programs. Did I mention that everything is free at the senior center?
Supervisor Desmond and his staff have generously supported the youth and senior centers with a Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant in 2024 and now a Community Enhancement Grant in 2025. So we're very, very grateful to Supervisor Desmond and all of his staff, including Candace Yee. Just nothing but gratitude to our county folks.
Moving on to the subject of affordable housing and what we call our Village Campus Project... I want to introduce you to the concept of our new nonprofit that we have founded. It's called the Wellsprings Community Foundation. We are recognized by both the federal and the state as a 501(c)(3) public benefit community corporation.
We have made a lot of progress. We have:
- Formed the nonprofit
- Hired a developer, Robert Eco, who is very experienced in building low-income housing
- Been approved for pre-development funding via a loan from Civic Community Partners
- Begun researching additional funding sources such as grants and tax credit financing
At this time, we’re very excited about the progress we’re making. We think it’s a great location—next to the library, post office, sheriff’s department, county park, and the new fire station site.
Regarding the fire station: the location is approximately 4 acres, and we’re in the final stages of completing what’s called an Irrevocable Offer to Dedicate. This means that Wellsprings will retain ownership of the land, but once the County is ready to build, we’ll be contractually obligated to donate the property for that use.
Also visible in the site plan is a Community Resource Site—a space we’re reserving for a potential medical clinic. Between 1–2 acres, right next to the library, it could eventually house urgent care services.
Finally, in this conceptual drawing, you’ll see a 60-unit low-income housing complex. This will be long-term rental housing, not speculative. No one is going to profit from this. It’s safe, quality housing for seniors, and potentially for other groups as well.
That’s where we are at this time.
-----------------------------------------------------
This project is a major milestone for Borrego Springs. It not only addresses the real needs of local seniors but also strengthens community infrastructure for the future. As more updates are made public, we’ll continue to share them here.
Learn more by visiting: wellspringscommunityfoundation.org or contact (206) 948-8268.
Here are key facts about the Borrego Revitalization Meeting:
- Date: June 5, 2025 at Borrego Springs Library
- Library attendance showed strong community engagement
- Led by San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond's office (5th District)
Senior Services Expansion:
- 500 free meals per month delivered through Meals on Wheels partnership
- Free medical equipment loans (wheelchairs, walkers) at Seniors Community Center
- All senior center programs are completely free
- Funded by County Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant (2024) and Community Enhancement Grant (2025)
Village Campus Project Progress:
- New Wellsprings Community Foundation established as 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Developer Robert Eco hired for low-income housing expertise
- Pre-development funding approved from Civic Community Partners
- Researching grants and tax credit financing
Planned Development Features:
- 60-unit low-income senior housing complex (long-term rental, non-profit)
- 4-acre fire station site with Irrevocable Offer to Dedicate in final stages
- 1-2 acre Community Resource Site reserved for potential medical clinic
- Strategic location next to library, post office, sheriff's department, county park
Environmental & Infrastructure Updates:
- Only 3 abandoned wells remain in cleanup process
- Air quality monitoring expansion with local professors
- Traffic circles planned for Palm Canyon/Country Club intersections
- Roundabouts being explored as traffic-calming solution
Key Contact: Lily Cooper, Supervisor Desmond's office - LilyM.Cooper@sdcounty.ca.gov, 858.402.2442
Learn More About Borrego Springs
The Borrego Springs Library was filled to capacity on June 5th as community members gathered for our Borrego Springs Community Revitalization meeting.
Community Rallies Behind Austrian Cyclist Training for RAAM You might have seen a focused cyclist zipping around Borrego Valley over the past few weeks. That rider is Lukas Kaufmann , a world-class athlete from Austria who’s chosen Borrego Springs as his training ground for the upcoming Race Across America (RAAM) —a 9-day, coast-to-coast endurance race starting June 10 in Oceanside and finishing June 19 in Atlantic City. Track his ride here: trackleaders.com/Team_Kaufmann While Peter Kellner was also out riding with his wife Tammy Baker , he spotted Lukas and could tell right away he wasn’t just another visitor getting in a few desert miles. Peter tracked him down, learned his story, and turned that curiosity into action. The result? A spontaneous community celebration: “Borrego Cheers for Lukas!”
Borrego Springs CRC Food Bank offers weekly groceries, monthly health services, and improved facilities with help from community grants and donations. Open to all.
Sylvia Maas Ride Updates On June 1, 2025, Sylvia Maas, an ultra-endurance cyclist and Soroptimist from Borrego Springs, will embark on the Trans Am Bike Nonstop Check Point Edition (3,500 miles), a self-supported, coast-to-coast cycling challenge starting in Astoria, Oregon. Her mission is to raise funds for the "Bike 4 Borrego Kids" scholarship program, supporting Borrego Springs High School seniors pursuing higher education.
Community nonprofit completes construction phase, seeks funding for equipment The Borrego Springs Music Festival and its educational arm, the Borrego Academy of Music & Art (BAMA), have completed construction on a new recording studio in downtown Borrego Springs. The buildout included soundproofing and a technician window, with oversight provided by John Young, BAMA’s Technical Director and Vice President of the board. The studio is the latest milestone in the organization’s mission to provide music education to youth in a region where none of the local schools—elementary, middle, or high school—offer a formal music program. Borrego Springs serves a population of approximately 2,500 residents, and 87% of the 358 enrolled students in the school district are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged. John Young, a 34-year science center veteran and longtime volunteer, helped launch the studio space as part of his ongoing work with the music festival and its education efforts. He also teaches courses in piano, digital recording, and technology.
Borrego Springs honors fallen service members with a Memorial Day ceremony at Christmas Circle, followed by lunch at American Legion Post 853.
