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By Jose A. Alvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office
Photo: The Beacon apartments, in East Village, will open Sept. 20.
September 22, 2019 (San Diego) - High rental prices and low vacancy rates have made it extremely difficult for many San Diegans to find affordable places to live.
As part of its ongoing effort to help ease the affordable housing crisis impacting families, seniors and those experiencing homelessness, the County and its many government and social service partners are building more than 3,000 new housing units to help people find a stable place to live.
Some of the new units are partially funded by the County’s Innovative Housing Initiative, a $50 million trust fund that is actively being used to build more affordable housing to help decrease homelessness in the region.
The first seven new developments have recently opened, are under construction or in the pre-planning stage. These will generate more than 500 units that will go to:
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Veterans experiencing homelessness and with special needs
- Seniors and older adults with extremely low incomes
- People with developmental disabilities
- People with mental illness or a history of substance abuse
- Domestic violence survivors
The seven properties are located throughout the county in San Diego, Poway, San Marcos, Vista and Ramona.
The trust fund investment, when paired with other state and federal funding sources, is expected to create more than 1,800 units. These homes will remain as affordable housing units for a minimum of 55 years.
The County has also identified four excess properties that are suitable for development that will include 700 plus affordable, multi-family residential units.
Photo, right: Schmale Family Senior Residence in Ramona.
In downtown San Diego, the county has invested $2,895,046 in the new Beacon Apartments project, set to open Sept. 20 in East Village. Of the 44 supportive housing units available to formerly homeless individuals, County funds will ensure that 22 are set aside for people with serious mental illness who are eligible for supportive services under the Mental Health Services Act.
Together with the Veterans Administration, the County also provides monthly rental assistance to more than 500 veterans and their families through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing.
Additionally, the County spends more than $100 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds every year to help local residents with housing subsidies. About 10,400 households and over 24,000 people each month receive housing subsidies through the County’s Public Housing Authority.
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