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Contact:
Amanda Nelson, San Diego Housing Federation
Annual Housing Needs Report Shows Affordable Housing Shortfall
Housing Advocates call for State action to support local response to produce and preserve homes that are affordable
SAN DIEGO, CA –The San Diego Housing Federation (SDHF) releases the annual Housing Needs Report from the California Housing Partnership. The annual report highlights that 132,298 low-income renter households in San Diego County do not have access to an affordable home. This report comes days after news broke of the Blackstone Group purchase of 5,800 homes from the Conrad Prebys Foundation portfolio. Housing advocates gathered Thursday morning at Euclid Court Apartments in City Heights to share findings from the report, discuss the impact of the sale of the Prebys portfolio, and call for action on proposed policy solutions to help acquire, stabilize, and preserve housing as permanently affordable.
“The loss of affordability we are seeing in this market – exemplified by the Prebys sale – will ultimately force families out of their homes. This process of increasing rents and causing dislocation is not unique,” said Stephen Russell, president and CEO of San Diego Housing Federation.
The annual release of the Housing Needs Report from the Partnership shows the severe shortage of affordable homes in San Diego. The affordable housing shortage is even more concerning as San Diego has also seen a steady decline in private rental housing that low-income households can afford, due to rising rents and renter displacement. The full report can be read here.
“We urge state leaders to set clear, long-term goals so that the uses of this year’s state budget surplus are framed as down payments on the sustained investments at scale that our region and state need to meet the four clear goals of California’s Roadmap Home 2030: ending homelessness, closing the affordable housing gap, protecting low-income renters, and advancing racial equity,” said Matt Schwartz, president and CEO of the California Housing Partnership.
There are two opportunities being considered in Sacramento that could have a significant impact on housing preservation in San Diego and across California. One of the proposed solutions for preserving and providing affordable homes is SB 490, a bill to create a technical assistance program for mission-driven organizations and public agencies that will help them to be better prepared for the acquisition and preservation of affordable housing.
The second is a $500 million investment from the state surplus to state budget request to create the Community Acquisition and Preservation Program would provide gap financing for communities to acquire housing, stabilize residents, and preserve these homes as permanently affordable. acquisition and preservation of homes where the majority of low-income Californians live.
“The root cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. In San Diego, housing production has been minimal, at best and home prices are up nearly 20 percent from last year. We need to do everything we can to bring as many affordable units online as quickly as possible. And we need to preserve what little naturally occurring affordable housing we do have. The failure to build and sustain affordable housing will only result in more people falling into the cycle of homelessness,” said Joel John Roberts, CEO of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH).
San Diego Housing Federation
The San Diego Housing Federation is the region’s voice for affordable housing. The Federation is committed to increasing the supply of housing for San Diego’s most vulnerable families, seniors, veterans, and those living with disabilities. For more information visit, housingsandiego.org.
California Housing Partnership (The Partnership)
The California Housing Partnership creates and preserves affordable and sustainable homes for Californians with low incomes by providing expert financial and policy solutions to nonprofit and public partners. In addition, the Partnership provides statewide publications and data tools for housing research and outcomes tracking. | chpc.net
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