The Crossroads at Washington won Project of the Year Award, WISEPlace on Broadway won the Supportive Housing Award, and Estrella Springs won the Transformative Housing Award.
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Three City of Santa Ana affordable housing projects received major awards on Thursday, April 17, at the 2025 Affordable Housing Awards, leading all Orange County cities in the six development categories.
The Crossroads at Washington earned the top honor as the 2025 Project of the Year. This is the second year in a row that an affordable housing project in Santa Ana has won Project of the Year in Orange County. Additionally, WISEPlace on Broadway won the Supportive Housing Award, and Estrella Springs won the Transformative Housing Award.
Hosted by the Kennedy Commission, the Affordable Housing Clearinghouse and Orange County Community Housing Corporation, the Affordable Housing Awards are a prestigious annual recognition of the most significant projects countywide. The City shared the awards with developers Related California, WISEPlace and Jamboree Housing.
“These awards reflect Santa Ana’s unwavering commitment to innovative housing solutions,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said. “Through collaboration with our partners, we are creating sustainable, supportive environments that empower our residents. Santa Ana continues to lead Orange County in the creation of new affordable housing as well as both rental and homeownership opportunities for all income levels.”
In the past 10 years, the City has financed and approved the development of over 1,000 units of affordable and permanent supportive housing units. From 2021 to 2024, the City issued building permits for 5,130 housing units of all kinds. As recognized by Western City Magazine, Santa Ana’s development renaissance has captured national attention.
Over the last five years, Santa Ana has built more affordable housing than every other city in Orange County. From 2019 to 2024, the number of unhoused individuals declined by 19%, according to the County of Orange’s Point in Time Count. With the recent completion of Estrella Springs, Santa Ana is one of the first cities in the county to meet its regional allocation of permanent supportive housing units under the county’s Housing Funding Strategy adopted in June 2018.
The winning projects are:
- The Crossroads at Washington – 2025 Project of the Year Award
The Crossroads at Washington, an 86-unit affordable housing community developed by Related California and A Community of Friends on City- and County-owned land, was named the 2025 Project of the Year. This public-private partnership with the City of Santa Ana and the County of Orange provides housing for extremely low-income families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The development includes a mix of units for families and special needs residents, with 43 apartments designated as permanent supportive housing. On-site amenities include a computer room, community room with lounge and kitchen, fitness area, swimming pool, and outdoor courtyards with seating and barbecue areas. The City supported the Crossroads at Washington with $4.6 million in funding and 15 project-based vouchers. - WISEPlace on Broadway – Supportive Housing Award
The renovation and expansion of the former YWCA building into 48 fully furnished studio apartments for unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness was recognized for its innovative design and community impact. The project, developed by WISEPlace and Jamboree Housing, includes an operational kitchen with dining hall, classrooms, dedicated wrap-around service areas with private counseling and case management spaces, and a welcoming outdoor area complete with community gardens. This development exemplifies the City’s dedication to providing permanent supportive housing solutions for vulnerable populations. This project was made possible with $5.2 million in funding and 25 project-based vouchers from the City. - Estrella Springs – Transformative Housing Award
Estrella Springs, a transformative project that repurposed an underutilized motel into 89 units of supportive housing, was honored for its innovative approach to addressing homelessness. Developed in partnership with Jamboree Housing, the County of Orange, and CalOptima Health, Estrella Springs provides housing and supportive services for individuals and veterans experiencing homelessness, those living with mental health diagnoses, and individuals earning up to 30% of the area median income. The project includes on-site services such as case management, healthcare access, and job training programs to support residents in achieving stability and independence. The City provided $1.6 million in funding and 89 project-based vouchers for this project.
The City of Santa Ana is proud to receive this recognition and thanks the Affordable Housing Awards organizers for acknowledging the hard work of City staff and local developers to serve our community.