FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022

CONTACT:
MayorPress@sandiego.gov

SAN DIEGO Continuing his efforts to produce more homes that San Diegans can afford, Mayor Todd Gloria today announced that three proposed affordable housing projects have been recommended for funding under Round 2 of the Citys Bridge to Home program.

San Diegans are struggling because of the high cost of housing, and the best way to address that is to dramatically increase the production of homes that low and middle-income San Diegans can afford. Our innovative Bridge to Home program plays a key role in this effort, Mayor Todd Gloria said. When we complete Round 2 of this program just over a year since we launched well have more than 900 new affordable homes for lower-income residents approved and in the pipeline, with more to come.

Under the competitive Bridge to Home program, loan funding is made available to affordable housing builders to help complete their financing. Administered by the City of San Diegos Economic Development Department (EDD), the program draws its funding from the Citys Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund, the federal Community Development Block Grant program and the states Permanent Local Housing Allocation program, which was created through Senate Bill 2, authored by Senate President pro Tem Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) in 2017.

The three projects selected for funding in Round 2 of the program will create 242 homes, including 39 that are set aside for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. All three are within a half-mile of an existing or planned major transit stop, making the program consistent with the Citys climate strategies. They are:

• Cuatro at City Heights 115 homes
• Encanto Gateway 64 homes
• Iris Avenue Trolley (San Ysidro) 63 homes

One of the three projects is in District 9, represented by City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera.

Housing is a human right. All San Diegans need decent, stable, and affordable homes that dont leave people on the edge of a financial cliff every month, Council President Elo-Rivera said. Im encouraged by the funding for these homes which will directly address our housing and homelessness crises.

The recommendations will be presented to the City Councils Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee today at 2 p.m.

In Round 1 of the program, the City awarded a total of $31.9 million to the developers of seven projects that will create 662 affordable homes, including 193 that will be set aside for people experiencing homelessness. Six of those seven projects have been approved by the City Council, with the remaining project expected to come forward for a vote this month.

To be eligible for the program, projects must create homes that are affordable to households earning 80 percent of area median income or less, and units must remain affordable for at least 55 years. A quarter of the money is set aside for smaller and emerging development partners that will each provide 40 units or fewer.

Bridge to Home is aligned with Mayor Glorias Homes For All of Us initiative, a comprehensive effort to create more housing at prices that everyday San Diegans can afford. Homes For All of Us features multiple Housing Action Packages that include policies that make it easier to build housing for low- and middle-income residents. The City Council passed the first Housing Action Package in February. The second package was unveiled this summer and will go before the City Council in spring 2023.

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