Our Fiscal Year 2026 was unlike any other year in recent memory for our agency. Going through challenges often fosters the resiliency, collaboration and innovation necessary to continue to deliver results. That has been true for us in the past year. We faced unprecedented financial challenges, and we had to make tough decisions to achieve long-term stability for our agency. But we kept our focus on the thousands of families who rely on us each day for housing assistance. 

Our goal is to make sure that families in our programs remain stably housed, and that our unhoused neighbors continue to have access to shelter, services and the support they need on their path to housing. We also worked hard to produce, maintain and preserve quality affordable housing, including the rental homes we own and manage. Additionally, we expanded our collaborations with community organizations to bring resources to our community and support our clients during times of change for them as well. 

In many ways, our actions to address the challenges of Fiscal Year 2026 have set the foundation for us to advance into the years ahead. We adopted a new Strategic Plan that will guide us through 2030 with a spirit of resiliency, a commitment to cost-containment, and an emphasis on the people who rely on us and our staff who provide those services. Our initiatives have also provided more fiscal stability and moved us toward a stronger financial footing for the years to come. 

Whether we are reflecting on the past or looking forward, the centerpiece of our initiatives is the people we serve. Their stories inspire us. 

Breanna, who receives rental assistance from SDHC and lives in one of our affordable rental homes after experiencing homelessness, told us, “When the chaos and everything’s going on in my life out there, I look forward to coming home.” We want everyone in the City of San Diego to have a place to come home to—a place they can afford that serves as a stable foundation and enables them to thrive in our shared community. 

After experiencing homelessness, Ken said he still can’t believe he has an affordable studio apartment of his own at Harrington Heights, a new affordable housing development for which SDHC collaborated with the developer. Ken also receives rental assistance from SDHC through one of the rental housing vouchers we awarded to Harrington Heights. 

Jennifer told us she learned to smile again and received help to heal and rebuild her confidence at Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children—one of the shelter programs we administer. After three months at the shelter program, Jennifer signed a lease for an apartment of her own.

They are among the tens of thousands of people we’re serving every day by providing rental assistance, creating and preserving affordable housing, and implementing a variety of homelessness solutions based on the diverse needs of our unhoused neighbors.

I am grateful for the opportunity and privilege to work every day with our exceptional team at SDHC, who consistently put people first and serve our program participants with compassion and dedication. Our many community partners are also integral to achieving a positive impact on the families we serve, and we thank them for their collaboration.

Our City Council, the Mayor, and our SDHC Board of Commissioners also provide leadership, guidance and support as we work together. Thank you to each of them for their commitment to affordable housing and homelessness solutions.

As we look to the years ahead, we will continue to collaborate and bring innovative solutions and resources to serve our families and support a vibrant and thriving city. 

Sincerely,

Lisa Jones
President and CEO
San Diego Housing Commission