Awaiting Amani: Offering Hope in a Hurting World

When was the last time you waited patiently for a moment that never arrived? The coolest toy. The college acceptance letter. The marriage proposal. We all feel our hearts, stomachs, and hopes sink at some point in our lives.

For thousands of San Diegans, their hopes were dashed this month when both the city and county closed their federal housing assistance waitlists. When the lists closed, more than 200,000 people who were waiting for assistance learned that they shouldn’t expect the lists to open again for at least a few years. The expected wait time was a staggering 15 years.

At St. Luke’s in North Park, the construction of the 78-unit Amani, which means peace in Swahili and aspiration in Arabic, offers a sliver of hope for San Diegans with limited incomes. According to a 2025 United Way of San Diego County report, more than 300,000 San Diegans’ incomes do not cover basic needs, such as housing, food, health care, child care, food, transportation, health care, and taxes. When completed in late fall 2026, the Amani will offer studio and 1-2 bedroom apartment homes in the heart of North Park specifically for households earning 30-70% area median income.

“The Amani represents more than an affordable home. It’s a foundation for thriving families and a stronger community. When people have a safe, stable place to call home, they can pursue education, build careers, and fully participate in the life of our region,” said Elizabeth Wilberg, Chief Executive Officer of Episcopal Community Services and a member of the diocesan Mission Real Estate Task Force. “This special community supports the workforce that drives San Diego forward, and it even provides a lifeline for our mission-driven professionals, including clergy, who are increasingly priced out of the neighborhoods they serve.”

Given the high demand for affordable homes, prospective residents will need to complete an online pre-application to be placed on the interest list. The leasing team will respond to applicants in the order they are received. Applicants will also need to provide proof that they meet income requirements by participating in an interview. The developer anticipates that the interest list will open in the next couple of months.

In the interim, the construction team is finishing the framing and systems before they transition to working on the building’s exterior (pictured).

The name Amani will not be the building’s only connection to St. Luke’s North Park, whose congregation first conceived of building affordable homes on the site. Although the timing is not yet certain, the developer plans to install a mural on the side of the building facing the main entrance to the church. The mural will be a collaboration between a local artist and the congregation, transforming the bare wall into a vibrant image that radiates a message of peace, hope, and neighborly love for the community.

The Amani is only the beginning of what our diocese can do to transform our lives and our neighbors’ lives.  The Mission Real Estate program is currently working with more than a dozen congregations in various stages of discerning how their campuses can be instruments of courageous love in action. To learn more about the Mission Real Estate program in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and the Amani, visit: www.edsd.org/mre

Information Sources:

Affordable Housing Resource Guide.. (2026). San Diego Housing Commission. English and Spanish versions offer information on affordable rental homes and assistance programs in the City of San Diego, as well as contact information for other cities and the county.

Breaking Barriers, Building Opportunity: The Real Cost Measure in California in 2025. (2025). United Ways of California.