October 14, 2025
228 New Affordable Apartments Open in Clairemont for Families with Lower Incomes
The San Diego Housing Commission awarded a loan and rental housing vouchers to support the Modica and Taormina developments
SAN DIEGO, CA — The latest phase in the transformation of the former site of the Sheriff’s Crime Lab into an intergenerational community on Mt. Etna Drive in Clairemont has been completed, with the grand opening celebrated today for two adjacent developments that provide 228 new affordable rental homes for families with lower incomes.
“Mt. Etna is part of a bigger story—one where every week, every ribbon that we cut, we are seeing real progress in our shared effort to ensure that all San Diegans have a place to call home,” Mayor Todd Gloria said at today’s grand opening.
Modica Family Apartments and Taormina Family Apartments were developed by Chelsea Investment Corporation (Chelsea) in collaboration with the City of San Diego, County of San Diego, San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), and additional partners. Rents will remain affordable for 55 years for households with lower incomes.
“This is a big step toward reducing San Diego’s housing shortage by providing affordable, high-quality housing for all of our City residents,” said City Councilmember Dr. Jennifer Campbell, who represents Council District 2, including the new developments.
The developments were built at the former site of the Sheriff’s Crime Lab. The County of San Diego ground leased the land to Chelsea for 99 years and awarded funding from the County’s Innovative Housing Trust Fund to support the developments.
“Today, we are seeing the second and third properties open doors at this location, where land was offered by the County through its initiative to use excess County sites to develop affordable housing,” County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said. “This is also a first step toward many more projects to come.”
SDHC awarded a $3 million loan toward the Modica development, consisting of federal and local funds SDHC administers, including:
- $2.4 million from the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards to the City of San Diego; and
- $600,000 from the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund.
SDHC awarded eight rental housing vouchers to the Taormina development to help residents pay their rent. These vouchers are linked directly to the apartments at the development, so that when a resident moves on, the voucher will remain to help another family with low income.
“A stable, affordable place to call home is an essential foundation that families need to thrive at work, in school, with their health and in community connection. The Modica and Taormina developments will provide that foundation for decades to come for families with lower incomes,” SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said.
Financing for both properties includes recycled Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds made possible through an innovative collaboration among SDHC, the City of San Diego and the California Housing Finance Agency. Bond recycling allows for the re-use of previously allocated bond capacity that is normally lost, and recycles Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds, also known as private activity bonds, into a new project without the use of limited low-income housing tax credits. Private sources of funds, such as revenue from the developments, are used to repay the bonds. SDHC, the City of San Diego and the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego are not financially liable for the bonds.
“This is a great example of government and the private sector coming together to build affordable housing that’s needed by so many San Diego families,” said Ryan Lundergan, Chelsea’s Senior Development Manager. “Many of these families will now have a home in a supportive community they can be proud of. These two projects represent a significant milestone—a victory toward progress in providing affordable housing options that previously have been out of reach for so many San Diegans.”
A total of 58 units at the Modica and Taormina properties are set aside for residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Amenities at these units will include roll-in showers, grab bars, reversible shower seats, and vinyl corner guards, among other features. The San Diego Regional Center will provide services for the residents of these units in collaboration with Southern California Housing Collaborative.
“Our partnership with Chelsea and Southern California Housing Collaborative has created so many—I can’t tell you how many—units for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where before the option was to live in congregate,” San Diego Regional Center Associate Executive Director Kate Kinnamont said. “Now some of them who choose to live in the community are being supported in units like this. It’s amazing. It’s life-changing for most of the individuals we support who will call one of these 58 units their home, their first home for the first time.”
In addition to Modica and Taormina, the Paul Downey Senior Residence opened in January at the Mt. Etna Drive site, providing 78 affordable housing units for seniors with low income. SDHC awarded a $3.95 million loan and eight rental housing vouchers to support the Paul Downey Senior Residence development.
Serving Seniors provides services for residents at all three developments, in collaboration with Southern California Housing Collaborative and the San Diego Regional Center.
A fourth development at the site, Terrasini Senior Apartments, is pending completion. It will consist of 94 additional affordable rental homes for seniors with low income.
Development Details
- Modica Family Apartments
- 93 affordable rental apartments for families
- 24 units set aside for people with an intellectual or developmental disability
- 1 unrestricted manager’s unit
- Units remain affordable for 55 years for households with income of 30 to 60 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI), currently $49,600 to $99,240 per year for a four-person household.
- Unit Mix
- 42 one-bedroom units
- 26 two-bedroom units
- 25 three-bedroom units
- 1 two-bedroom manager’s unit
- 93 affordable rental apartments for families
- Taormina Family Apartments
- 135 affordable rental apartments for families
- 34 units set aside for people with an intellectual or developmental disability
- 1 unrestricted manager’s unit
- Units remain affordable for 55 years for households with income of 30 to 80 percent of AMI, currently $49,600 to $132,400 per year for a four-person household.
- Unit Mix
- 63 one-bedroom units
- 37 two-bedroom units
- 35 three-bedroom units
- 1 two-bedroom manager’s unit
- 135 affordable rental apartments for families
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
