City Heights is adding 135 more affordable homes to San Diego.
The community celebrated the grand opening of two residential buildings that community leaders say is a step in the right direction to address the housing crisis.
Mayor Todd Gloria toured the newest affordable apartments at the new City Heights Place and City Heights Plaza Del Sol.
More San Diego housing stories:
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
“It’s been super exciting, and I’m really happy about the elevators,” resident Lydia Sanchez said. “Housing insecurity is no joke, and I’ve lived with it most of my life, so to have kind of finally where it’s calming down, where I can start to live without that stress, it really helps with qualify of life.”
The project is one of Gloria's many strategies to address the housing crisis that include affordable units built for families, near transit and in walkable neighborhoods.
“If you’re working hard and playing by the rules, we will make a place for you," Gloria said. "That’s why projects like this one are so very, very important."
District 4 San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe also spoke at the ceremony, reiterating her commitment to support and push for more housing opportunities.
“Congratulations to each resident that has benefited from these beautiful brand-new homes in this wonderfully diverse and vibrant community," Montgomery Steppe said.
The projects were made possible through a public and private collaboration among the state, county, landowner Price Philanthropies and Wakeland Housing.
According to a news release, the combined cost of the two properties was $75,165,992. City Heights Place cost $32,755,992 and City Heights Plaza Del Sol cost $42,410,000.
“When you see these families move in and the dramatic effect it has on their lives, it just proves that we can and should be doing this everywhere,” Rebecca Louie with Wakeland Housing said.
Robert Price said this is what his father envisioned when he purchased the land in 1994.
“It’s been 20 years that we’ve been sitting on this property and not having it developed. That’s our fault. It should’ve been done sooner. We want to continue building housing and properties in this community because we need people, particularly families to stay in this community and support San Diego,” Price said.
The new buildings also provide residents with services that include job search and resume assistance, health and wellness courses and after school programs for the youth.
