October 8, 2025
270 New Affordable Apartments Open for Households with Very Low Income, Including Unhoused San Diegans
Grand Opening celebrates Harrington Heights, developed in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission
SAN DIEGO, CA — Harrington Heights, a 15-story high-rise that celebrated its grand opening today in Downtown San Diego’s East Village neighborhood, provides rental apartment homes with nearby access to transit, schools, City College and other neighborhood amenities for 270 households with very low income, including previously unhoused San Diegans.
“Today, as we welcome the future residents of Harrington Heights, let us remember what this project represents—that this is a city that refuses to give up on its people, a city that believes that progress is absolutely possible, and a city that understands housing is not simply about four walls and a roof, but it’s about dignity. It’s about stability. It’s about belonging,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said at today’s grand opening.
Chelsea Investment Corporation developed Harrington Heights in collaboration with the City of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), and many additional partners. Rents at 270 apartments at Harrington Heights will remain affordable for at least 55 years for households earning 25 percent to 50 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, or approximately $37,200 to $74,450 per year for a three-person household. Forty apartments are set aside for individuals with developmental disabilities. The development also includes three unrestricted managers’ units.
“Affordable rents for decades to come and rental assistance for many of these families will provide a greater opportunity for stable housing in San Diego’s high-cost rental housing market,” SDHC Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Colin Miller said. “A stable place to call home is the foundation from which these families—just like all of us—are more likely to be able to deal more effectively with a variety of circumstances that come up in daily life.”
SDHC awarded 115 federal rental housing vouchers to help many Harrington Heights residents pay their rent, with 75 housing vouchers designated for households that experienced homelessness (including 10 for veterans) and 40 housing vouchers assisting households with extremely low income that have not experienced homelessness. SDHC also awarded an $8 million loan to support the development, consisting of federal and City funds that SDHC administers:
- $6.3 million in HOME Investment Partnership Program funding that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to the City of San Diego.
- $1.7 million from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund.
Additionally, SDHC authorized the issuance of up to $68.7 million in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds and $36.2 million in taxable bonds toward the development of Harrington Heights. These bonds were approved by the San Diego City Council, acting as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego. SDHC, the City of San Diego, and the Housing Authority are not financially liable for the bonds. Private sources of funds, such as revenue from the development, are used to repay the bonds.
“Harrington Heights represents a milestone on the path to solving the affordable housing crisis,” said Charles Schmid, Chelsea Investment Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer. “It offers housing options that are out of reach for so many San Diegans.”
Financing for the development also included a $10.1 million loan from the City of San Diego, a total of more than $39.7 million from multiple funding sources overseen by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development, and $4.25 million from the California Department of Developmental Services—the department’s largest award in the state for a development with units set aside for individuals with developmental disabilities.
“This project here is emblematic of so many things that we’re doing across the state,” said Gustavo Velasquez, Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. “The location—we’re seeing the trolley go by. We’re seeing buses. All of the amenities—grocery stores, pharmacies, health clinics—there will be all the services that residents need.”
“San Diego is becoming a place that is a model for the rest of the state when it comes to affordable housing,” said California Chief Deputy Treasurer Patrick Henning from the office of California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, which administers low-income housing tax credits that also supported the development. “When you look at this building, it’s a beautiful building in front of us. It fits. It’s part of the community.”
Alpha Project will provide on-site supportive services at Harrington Heights for previously unhoused residents, including case management, behavioral health services, life skills, social activities such as Bingo and arts and crafts sessions and outings to movies and plays, free haircuts from a hairstyling training academy, and a veterinarian to work with residents’ emotional support animals.
“We can’t wait. We’re going to be doing real, true case management to help these individuals on their path to self-efficiency,” said Travis Larson, Alpha Project’s Senior Director of Supportive Housing.
Unhoused veterans who move into Harrington Heights will receive rental assistance through Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Project-Based Housing Vouchers from SDHC and supportive services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System.
Connect with SDHC on social media:
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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall,
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7138
scottm@sdhc.org
