An illustration using a rendering of an affordable housing project in the Southcrest neighborhood presented to the city of San Diego's Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on July 17, 2024. (Illustration by Crystal Niebla/inewsource)

An affordable housing project could be coming to San Diego’s Southcrest neighborhood.

In a recent Southeastern San Diego Community Planning Group meeting, representatives from the nonprofit, Community HousingWorks, said the project – still pending final approval from the city — would build 92 units across two buildings on a pair of unconnected pieces of land at 40th and Alpha streets. 

One building will be six stories high, and the other two stories. One of them will include a child care facility.

Steve Swiecicki, a representative from CHW, said during the Oct. 14 meeting the project will offer two-bedroom apartments with monthly rent costs ranging between about $1,100 and $1,800. Rent for one-bedrooms will start at a little over $800, but Swiecicki did not provide a higher-end cost estimate for the one-bedrooms. These are prices that the government deems “affordable” to San Diegans.

The price restrictions would expire after at least 55 years, according to a city staff report.

Residents raised concerns over parking supply as Swiecicki said the CHW plans to build 22 parking spaces for the 92-unit housing project. 

Aligning with state law, the city allows developers the option to prioritize building more housing units over parking spaces, especially if the housing project sits near public transit. Swiecicki pointed to two bus stops near the site, but acknowledged that parking is a contentious issue.

“We’re trying to work with the city to find more parking spaces on some right-of-ways that are located near the site,” Swiecicki said.

The nonprofit also constructed a four-story, 71-unit affordable housing project on Keeler Court in Southcrest, which opened in 2022. 

As it’s still in its early stages, Swiecick said it could take up to five years to complete the project.

San Diego City Community Planning Groups – Southeastern San Diego Community Planning Group 10_14_2024Download

This story came from notes taken by Simon Mayeski, a San Diego Documenter, at a Southeastern San Diego Community Planning Group meeting last month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. Read more about the program here.

Type of Content

Meeting Brief: An account of a public government proceeding, written and edited by the San Diego Documenters.

Crystal Niebla joined inewsource in June 2022 focused on infrastructure and government accountability in the San Diego region. Today, she writes hyperlocal stories about communities in the South Bay. Her position is partly funded by Report for America, a national program that supports local journalists. At...