California has awarded $45 million to San Diego for construction of more than 1,180 affordable homes, Mayor Todd Gloria and the San Diego Housing Commission announced Wednesday.
"Under the leadership of Gov. Gavin Newsom and this legislature, the state of California has been a committed partner for cities that want to be part of the solution to the housing crisis, and this state grant represents another major step forward for San Diego," Gloria said. "We will put this funding to work as quickly as possible to build out the community infrastructure necessary to support the creation of nearly 1,200 new homes for San Diegans looking for an affordable place to live."
The funding will go toward two large-scale projects: 1,007 total units in two 40-story towers on three parcels of land in downtown San Diego and 586 total units on three sites in San Ysidro. Both projects will have hundreds of affordable housing units for tenants ranging from zero to 120% of the city's Area Median Income, with varying numbers of units for different income levels at each site.
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While there are other buildings 40 stories high downtown -- including the Manchester Grand Hyatt and a few others, — the proposed towers would likely tower over the majority of their neighbors. For example, the "new" courthouse tops out at 23 stories.
The proposed developments the grant will support are:
- Front Street (92101 – Council District 3)
- Two 40-story towers on three properties in downtown San Diego
- 345 West Ash St.
- 1301 State St.
- 1350 West Front St.
- 1,007 total units
- West Tower (506 total units):
- 101 units affordable for households with 0 to 50% of San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI)
- Units affordable for 55 years
- Parking: 0.75 spaces per housing unit
- East Tower (501 total units):
- 167 units affordable for households with up to 79% of AMI
- Units affordable for 55 years
- 167 units affordable for households with up 100% of AMI
- Units affordable for 55 years
- 167 units affordable for households with up to 120% of AMI
- Units affordable for 55 years
- Parking: 0.5 spaces per housing unit
- Developer: The Michaels Organization
- Palm City Transit Village and Transforming & Advancing South County Transit Communities (TASC) [92173 – South San Diego]
- Three sites
- 317 Cottonwood Dr. and 210 – 240 S. Vista Ave.
- 125 Cypress Dr.
- 2300 Palm Ave.
- 586 total units, of which three units will be unrestricted managers’ units
- Affordable housing units
- Palm City Transit Village: 483 rental housing units
- Affordable for households with 30% to 80% of AMI
- Avanzado: 100 rental housing units that convert to ownership at the end of the low-income housing tax credit compliance period (15 years)
- Affordable for households with 30% to 80% of AMI
- Developers: National Community Renaissance (National CORE) and Casa Familiar
The SDHC applied for the funds on behalf of the city through the state's Catalytic Infill Infrastructure Grant program, which awarded San Diego the maximum amount available for large cities.
San Diego Housing Crisis
"Everyone in San Diego deserves a place to call home that they can afford," SDHC Board Chair Eugene Mitchell said. "This state grant will enable us to develop a significant number of new units in the city that provide housing solutions for low- and middle-income residents."
The projects funded as part of San Diego's application build upon existing policies to address housing affordability, including using surplus state land, building on underused land at a trolley stop owned by the Metropolitan Transit System and using a local community land trust.
According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which administers the state grant program, the grant awarded to SDHC will "fund site preparation, including demolition, excavation, grading, soil stabilization, erosion control, weed control, and de-watering."
Surface improvements will include concrete paving and traffic signals. In addition, the funds will support new residential parking for the housing developments, and transit investments will fund new pathways, bus shelters and bike facilities.
The city has been soliciting developer bids on the four-block city hall/civic center area as well as 101 Ash Street. A La Jolla developer recently proposed gutting that building's office space and replacing them with affordable housing.
NBC 7's Eric S. Page contributed to this report — Ed.
