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A new community is flowering from the infertile ground of Southern California’s slice of the Mojave Desert — one officials hope offers more than just housing.
Nestled in Hesperia, a city in San Bernardino County boasting around 100,000 residents, the development known as Silverwood isn’t merely adding 15,000 houses to the dry terrain — it aims to bring life and kindness to the desert when its first residents begin pouring in next year, executives told Inman. In an arid, harsh environment, Silverwood is creating a culture of connection, they insist.
John Ohanian
With 166 miles of trails, parks within walking distance, and community centers and athletic areas planned, Silverwood is designed to foster a strong sense of togetherness, Silverwood General Manager John Ohanian of Arizona-based DMB Development told Inman. Ohanian said the amenities, along with parent-teacher groups and daycare hubs, will help spread kindness throughout the 9,366-acre community.
Located near Silverwood Lake, the project is part of a broader trend by DMB Development to create close-knit, engaged communities, as seen in similar projects spurred by the developer, like Marley Park in Surprise, Arizona, and Ladera Ranch in Southern California.
“Part of the culture of kindness and the foundation of the community is to create a sense of connection,” said Ohanian, who added that Silverwood’s culture is reinforced by a non-binding pledge to be signed by residents, encouraging kindness, respect and communication, even in challenging moments.
“This concept of kindness, of people having worth, of respectful disagreements — as opposed to just social media rants — if we can come up with all those metrics, it will create a better community,” Ohanian added. “And we believe that translates into a happier lifestyle.”
Ohanian’s campaign to build a shrine to kindness in the high desert began in earnest around 2012 after he was inspired by friend and former Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, whose administration had implemented a similar initiative focused on the restorative powers of kindness, which Tait’s supporters believe led to reduced homelessness in the city and improved city employee satisfaction.
In 2017, Anaheim adopted the motto “City of Kindness,” according to the city.
15K new homes by 2044
Now, following delays brought on by environmental concerns — including a plea to protect the native Arroyo Toad — excavators and backhoes have broken ground along a swath of Hesperia, with an estimated 700 homes expected to be developed annually over eight phases until the project’s completion in around 2044.
As of August, Silverwood has drawn interest from 6,500 prospective residents, with 900 individuals already joining the First Residents Club. This exclusive list allows members early access to view lots and homes, as well as invitations to community events. With an initial target of 4,000 on the interest list before the community’s opening, Silverwood appears to be drawing attention.
[Inman Slideshow]
Each residential phase will consist of three sub-phases, featuring 2,000 homes, a village green, a community center and a network of parks and trails. Five of the phases will include an elementary school adjacent to the village green. For those farther from a school, community parks will rise near village greens instead.
Community centers will boast meeting areas and conference rooms, arts and crafts spaces and “Zoom Rooms,” which could be used for educational purposes or emergency situations such as a pandemic, Ohanian said.
The first 500 homes in phase one are slated to open in March 2025, just ahead of Silverwood’s Crest Fest in April. Inspired by the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which passes through Silverwood, Crest Fest will feature a barbecue, live music and a welcoming space where hikers can rest and connect with residents. Locals can also serve as “trail angels,” offering home-cooked meals and support to hikers on their journey.
Silverwood’s commercial phase will encompass 700,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, including a library, post office, fire stations and public schools, all centered around walkable, well-designed town squares with shops.
Alexa Ramirez
“To put it into perspective, we didn’t have a Sprouts grocery store, so when they were coming into our community, it was a huge deal,” said Alexa Ramirez, an eHomes realtor and resident of Victorville, California, also located in the high desert.
“We want Trader Joe’s and all of the amenities that you can find by driving just 30 minutes south into Rancho Cucamonga,” she added. “Having to commute for work is one thing, but having to commute for entertainment and for shopping makes it feel like you’re on that I-15 forever.”
The development will also include 4,900 acres of open space, with parks, amphitheaters and sports parks that offer lighted soccer fields, pickleball courts and basketball courts.
Sustainability in the Mojave Desert
While Silverwood is still finalizing home designs, sustainability has climbed as a top priority, officials told Inman.
With more than 100 species considered endangered or threatened in Southern California — including arroyo toads, mountain yellow-legged frogs and desert slender salamanders — the terrain that encapsulates Silverwood drew challenges from The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and the Audubon Society, all of whom rallied around safeguards laid out in the California Environmental Quality Act.
After collaboration with those advocates, Silverwood made adjustments, including removing development from Summit Valley, protecting the Arroyo Toad with bullfrog management and beaver control programs, installing solar power on all buildings and improving the local water supply. A second lawsuit from Crestline Sanitation District, related to a discharge agreement, was quickly resolved, officials confirmed.
Construction of Silverwood began with critical infrastructure improvements, including roads, water lines and sewer systems, with $1.6 billion allocated for upgrades. Most upgrades are finished, with the remaining work set to be completed before the site opens.
Building on these advancements, all homes in the community will include solar power, and recycled water will be used for irrigation in public spaces.
A solution to Hesperia’s inventory dearth?
Oscar Wei, a deputy chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, said tight housing supply issues have emerged nationwide due to homeowners staying put and not selling, driven by the lock-in effect.
This trend is also prevalent in California, but Silverwood officials aim to address the housing supply and affordability issues in Hesperia, they told Inman.
Brent Herrington
“We’re thrilled to bring this much-needed housing inventory to Southern California where a lack of supply, especially for middle-class families looking to own, has been a challenge,” DMB Development CEO Brent Herrington said in a statement.
Jackie Soto, an eHomes broker-owner, said the inventory shortages that impacted the market in 2022, when the property began development, is still a concern today.
“People move here because of affordability,” Soto told Inman. “It was really difficult, especially in 2022, for buyers to get into homes because of the lack of inventory. There was a lot of competition, so prices would go up naturally.”
Jackie Soto
Previously known as the Tapestry and Rancho Los Flores project, the Silverwood project offers affordability, making it an attractive choice for middle-class families looking for accessible housing options.
According to Wei, the median price in Hesperia is approximately $500,000, significantly lower than California’s state median price of $900,000, making Silverwood an attractive alternative for homebuyers.
Wei said the substantial price gap is due to Hesperia still being in its development phase. The city is undergoing various projects to boost both residential and commercial infrastructure, such as the Hesperia Commerce Center, the Desert Willow Ranch and Silverwood residential communities, along with important road and intersection upgrades.
Raising her family in the High Desert, Ramirez encourages others not to be deterred by the commute but to seize the current affordable housing options, which may become less accessible as the market evolves.
“We want more developers to come in and build housing and commercial [spaces],” Ramirez told Inman. “The only thing this area is going to do is grow, and we really want to take advantage of it while it’s still in that affordability category because it won’t be this way forever.”
