View PDF
Housing Authority of San Buenaventura: Vista del Mar Commons Palms
Background
The Vista del Mar Commons Palms Property is seven stories tall and contains 75 affordable units. Routine maintenance and upgrades have made the building very efficient for its age, having been built in 1963. Particularly, a proactive approach to property management and maintenance has left the Palms in remarkably good condition compared to other buildings of the same vintage. The City of San Buenaventura Housing Authority modernized the building to make it as efficient as possible while staying within budget. The housing authority set a goal of identifying an additional 20% in savings, despite the fact that energy efficiency measures, such as a boiler system with passive radiators and recently installed low-e windows, had already been installed.
Solutions
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura plans to put numerous savings measures in place as part of a larger building rehabilitation effort, including replacing exterior lighting in the common areas with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and installing LED tube lighting in all 75 of the affordable units.
View the complete improvement plan with details on upgrades here.
Apartment Improvements:
- Replacing deteriorated plumbing
- New high efficiency ENERGY STAR appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers)
- Low flow toilets, faucets, and shower heads
Lighting Improvements:
- Exterior lighting LED fixtures
- LED Lamp retrofits
HVAC System/Common Area Improvements:
- Replacing domestic hot water boiler with high efficiency condensing boilers featuring variable speed pumps and controls
- Relining domestic hot water storage and solar hot water storage tanks
- Maintaining of solar thermal system on roof
- Replacing boilers for radiators and controls
- Using high efficiency rooftop exhaust fans
- Replacing the main elevator
- Installing insulated storefront measures
- New concrete drives and walkways
Other Benefits
Combined, these upgrades further reduced energy usage to help the Housing Authority reach the 20% energy goal, they also made the building more safe and comfortable for the tenants. With the improvements, the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura is taking a necessary step in advancing the core values of safety and health for their residents. Between adding lighting that is more comfortable, natural, and better received by residents to creating superior air quality throughout for residents, this building will serve as an example of how the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura can bring aging buildings up to present standards.
Image Gallery

South Palm Street, 2013, front view
