November 22, 2024
Affordable Housing Development Commemorates Construction Milestone with “Topping Off” Ceremony
The San Diego Housing Commission is collaborating with the developer, Chelsea Investment Corporation, and additional partners on the Harrington Heights development
SAN DIEGO, CA — A development in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) that will produce 270 affordable rental homes for families experiencing homelessness or with extremely low income celebrated a construction milestone today with a “topping off” ceremony, as the Harrington Heights development has reached roughly the midpoint of construction.
A “topping off” ceremony is a longstanding tradition among builders that commemorates the point in construction when the last beam is installed at the top of a structure.
“My commitment to you, with the remaining four years that I have as your mayor, is to make sure I do every single day whatever I possibly can do to provide more housing that everyday San Diegans can afford,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said at the event. “Today is a great day because of the step in that general direction.”
Elected officials and partners on the development of Harrington Heights by Chelsea Investment Corporation (Chelsea) signed a beam at the ceremony.
“There are going to be 273 homes that are available to people who are struggling and that are truly available to them. I want to thank Mayor Gloria and Assemblymember [Chris] Ward, both of whom served in the District 3 Council office prior to me, both of whom were housing champions when they represented this district,” said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, whose district includes the development site. “I had the real honor of following in their footsteps and continuing the work that they advocated for.”
At Harrington Heights, 270 rental apartments will remain affordable for 55 years for households earning 25 percent to 50 percent of the San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI).The development also includes three manager units.
“I want to thank Chelsea and so many of the other partners that were involved in this project and so many projects like this in the San Diego community,” said State Assemblymember Chris Ward, who as a San Diego Councilmember voted in favor of the Harrington Heights development. “As our Council and our Mayor have been working hard to make sure that we’re getting homeless individuals off of the streets, it’s temporary. They’re in shelters, they’re in safe spaces, but we’ve got to get them into their permanent housing units they’ve been long waiting for. And so, I’m just grateful that we’re adding to the stock, and those doors are going to open really soon.”
SDHC awarded 115 rental housing vouchers to help Harrington Heights residents pay rent. Of those, 75 housing vouchers will assist individual experiencing homelessness, including 10 set aside specifically for veterans experiencing homelessness. The remaining 40 housing vouchers will be for households that are not experiencing homelessness, with annual income ranging from 25 to 40 percent of AMI.
“Clearly, we’re at vanguard here locally as a city. I could not be more proud to lead this agency and to be your partner,” SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. “Really, the work we do is better because we do it together and because we have a united mission.”
SDHC also awarded an $8 million loan that consists of federal and local funds that SDHC administers, including HOME Investment Partnership Program funding that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to the City of San Diego and from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund. In addition, SDHC authorized the issuance of up to $68,700,000 in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds and $37 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.
Harrington Heights will serve a mix of residents, including individuals and veterans experiencing homelessness, families with very low income, and residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
“The heart and soul of Chelsea is not just building bricks and mortar and affordable. It’s really beautiful places to live and changing lives because that’s what this is all about. It’s not the bricks and sticks, it’s not the doors and locks. It’s the folks that will be living inside whose lives will be changed forever. And we’re so excited and really proud to do that,” Chelsea’s Chief Development Officer Jim Andersen said.
Alpha Project for the Homeless will coordinate supportive services for the residents at Harrington Heights. Services will include education and employment services; integrated medical, dental and behavioral health services; substance use disorder services; case management; tenant services; and life skills classes. Formerly unhoused veterans, who will receive Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Project-Based Housing Vouchers from SDHC, will also receive supportive services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System.
Additional partners include the City of San Diego, which provided a development loan of $10.14 million as well as the land through a lease agreement; the State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), which provided more than $40 million in loans from several funding programs; and the San Diego Regional Center, which provided $4.25 million.
The development is located near City College, the City College Transit Station, served by the San Diego Trolley and multiple bus lines, and is near SDHC’s headquarters.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.
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
