county creates 1,400 affordable housing units | New

San Diego County is helping create nearly 1,400 affordable housing units in 20 developments in 15 area communities.

The figure was announced in an update Tuesday to the supervisory board on the results of the innovative trust fund, created by the county in 2017.

The Innovative Housing Trust Fund has invested $ 50 million to build affordable housing in the area. These funds helped the county and its partners mobilize $ 567 million in other public and private funds to create and maintain 1,397 permanent affordable housing units across the county.

“There is a tremendous amount of work being done across the county; not only to increase the supply of affordable housing, but also to foster economic growth in the region, ”said David Estrella, director of housing and community development services at the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA).

Over the 99-year affordability period, the units created will serve approximately 18,000 low-income families, seniors, veterans, people with developmental disabilities, homelessness and homeless people with severe mental illness.

Five of the 20 developments funded by the trust fund have opened in recent years in the cities of San Diego, Poway and Vista, and have generated 368 affordable housing units.

There are currently 10 developments under construction, and they are expected to be completed between December 2021 and January 2024. Five more are in the process of being funded.

“The trust fund is the first of its kind, being the first locally funded and administered program to provide funding for affordable housing throughout the San Diego area,” said Nick Macchione, director of the HHSA.

At the request of Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Supervisor Joel Anderson, Council also approved an additional $ 25 million to support the production of affordable housing.

In total, $ 20 million of these funds will be used to create and / or maintain affordable housing in the region. Five million will be used for housing research, policy development and piloting new programs and initiatives to develop comprehensive solutions that can accelerate housing production.

The aim is to provide innovative housing solutions that promote equity, sustainability and affordability. It is estimated that the region will need approximately 83,000 affordable housing units by 2029 to keep up with population growth.