Mission Real Estate: Amani North Park

When St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in North Park broke ground on a new 78-unit affordable-housing development earlier this year, the moment marked far more than the start of construction. It signaled a renewed commitment—to the neighborhood, to working families, to refugees rebuilding their lives, and to long-time residents priced out of the community they love. The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego’s Mission Real Estate initiative was created precisely for moments like this: moments when the church stewards its resources to respond to unmet community needs, creating affordable homes and spaces that allow individuals and families to flourish.

As construction continues toward the building’s anticipated opening, the project has reached another meaningful milestone–a name!

And not just a name chosen by a committee or marketing firm—but a name shaped through collaboration involving the congregation, diocesan staff, developer Trestle Build, and branding partner Four Fin. The result is a word that carries the hopes, heritage, and heart of the St. Luke’s community.

That word is Amani.

Long before naming sessions began, the people of St. Luke’s knew exactly why building affordable homes mattered. For years, parishioners had watched rents in North Park escalate to levels that pushed out families, artists, workers, and even longtime members of the congregation itself. Many of St. Luke’s members—especially those from East African immigrant communities—shared stories of neighbors forced to leave the area because stable, affordable homes simply no longer existed.

The diocese and St. Luke’s decided to act. Through a 99-year ground lease with Trestle Build, the church committed its land—not for profit, but for mission. The result will be an eight-story apartment building offering income-restricted homes for households earning 30–70% of the area median income. It will include spaces designed for connection, such as a ground-floor courtyard and an eighth-floor community room with sweeping views of the neighborhood. No parking garage—just homes with new residents who can walk to local schools, grocery stores, and parks, plus easy access to frequent bus service.

From the start, the commitment was clear: the building must be beautiful, intentional, and worthy of the people who will call it home. It should support dignity and belonging. And, most of all, it should reflect the identity and values of St. Luke’s itself.

To find a name that captured that identity, St. Luke’s hosted a multilingual, multicultural naming workshop over the summer. Participants included church members, diocesan staff, and Trestle Build representatives. Branding partner Four Fin led the research and vetting, but the inspiration came from the people whose lives are woven into St. Luke’s story.

The naming exercise unfolded in three parts. Participants first explored two guiding themes—Celebrating What’s Ahead and Radical Hospitality—then considered more than 100 words in English, Dinka, Arabic, Swahili, and other languages represented at St. Luke’s. Pages across the parish hall filled with words like Flourish, Ascent, Tumaini (“hope”), Karibu (“welcome”), and Mbegu (“seed”), reflecting both the aspirations of future residents and the congregation’s cultural richness. In a lively sticker-voting round, participants chose the words that resonated most deeply, which were then narrowed to a shortlist. These names were then handed to Four Fin, whose team analyzed them through a professional lens—reviewing trademarks, cultural sensitivities, regional usage, pronunciation, and visual branding potential.

Even after extensive analysis, one name stood out. At every stage—brainstorming, sticker-voting, discussion, and professional review—the same word rose to the top: Amani.

In Swahili, Amani means peace—not a passive peace, but a deep sense of safety and security, the kind of stability families long for when seeking a home. In Arabic, it means wishes, desires, and hopes—a fitting description of the future residents who will bring their dreams into this new space.

The name honored both the East African roots of many St. Luke’s families and the broader multicultural mosaic of North Park. It communicated both calm and aspiration—two qualities that capture exactly what affordable housing is meant to provide.

Jessica Ripper, EDSD’s Mission Real Estate Portfolio Manager, reflected on the journey:

“I deeply appreciate the care Trestle Build has put into aligning the project with the congregation and community identity,” she said. “From the earliest conversations to the final name selection, they have continually honored the voices, culture, and hopes of St. Luke’s.”

The Mission Real Estate continues to support congregations throughout the diocese in discerning how to develop their properties to enhance congregational vitality,  respond to God’s call to love and serve our neighbor, and build sustainable financial capacity. The majority of these congregations are exploring affordable housing, but other missional uses, such as early childhood education, senior services, health care, and nonprofit office space, are also options, depending on the church location and community priorities. And recently, Trinity Church Philanthropies awarded the diocese a second round of grant funding to support up to 10 additional congregations through discernment, feasibility assessments, and the selection of development partners.

With the selection of the name Amani, the development enters its next phase. Construction continues, relationships deepen, and excitement grows as the community watches the building take shape. For St. Luke’s, this project is far more than an architectural undertaking—it is an embodiment of Christian hospitality and justice. It is an example of what is possible when churches use their land, their history, and their imagination for the good of their neighbors.

And soon, 78 households will open the doors to their new home—a home named for peace, hope, and the possibility of flourishing. Amani.

To learn more about the Mission Real Estate program in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and the St. Luke’s project, visit: www.edsd.org/mre