California Construction News staff writer
Construction of a new affordable housing community in San Diego’s San Carlos neighborhood was celebrated Thursday with a ceremonial groundbreaking for Navajo Family Apartments, a development that will provide 44 affordable rental homes for families with low incomes.
Construction crews were already at work on the project’s foundation as elected officials, housing advocates and community leaders gathered to mark the start of construction.
“Housing is the most urgent issue in our city,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said at the ceremony. “When we’re doing things that lower that cost, we’re making this city more affordable for working middle-class San Diegans.”
Developed by Community HousingWorks in partnership with the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission and other organizations, the project will consist of a four-story building with 44 affordable apartments and one unrestricted manager’s unit.
The development will include 21 one-bedroom apartments, 11 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units. Eight apartments will be reserved for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, allowing residents to live independently with access to long-term support services.
When completed, the apartments will be affordable to households earning between 30% and 70% of the San Diego Area Median Income, which currently ranges from $52,450 to $122,450 annually for a family of four. The homes will remain affordable for at least 55 years.
The project is being built on a site that previously housed a restaurant that had been closed for years.
Funding for the development comes from a combination of local, county and federal sources. The San Diego Housing Commission awarded nearly $3.4 million in loans through city affordable housing funds and the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The city also contributed $3.1 million through its Bridge to Home program, while the County of San Diego provided $2.72 million from its Innovative Housing Trust Fund.
In addition, the Housing Commission awarded eight federal rental assistance vouchers that will remain tied to the development to help residents with disabilities afford their housing costs.
“We’re plugging into a lot of the services that are already available here,” said Community HousingWorks President and CEO Sean Spear. “These are the things that are really building blocks for the residents that we provide housing to.”
The San Diego Regional Center contributed funding for the project and will provide ongoing case management services for residents of the disability-designated units.
The development is expected to open in 2027. Amenities will include 58 parking spaces, a community room, computer room, conference room, bicycle storage, laundry facilities and a children’s play area.
The project is part of broader efforts to expand affordable housing throughout the region. Since 2017, San Diego County has invested more than $334 million in affordable housing initiatives, helping create more than 3,700 homes, with an additional 2,200 units in development.
