September 29, 2025
Two National Awards of Merit Presented to the San Diego Housing Commission for Flood Recovery and Community Garden Programs
SAN DIEGO, CA — Initiatives to assist families displaced from their homes by catastrophic floods in January 2024 and a community garden at an affordable housing property for seniors with low income earned the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) two Awards of Merit from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
“These honors reflect our ongoing focus on the people in our community and our commitment to collaborate with a variety of partners to achieve positive results,” SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. “These initiatives also depend on the dedication of our exceptional staff and the leadership of our City Council, Mayor Todd Gloria and our Board of Commissioners. Thank you to each of them, as well as NAHRO for recognizing our efforts.”
SDHC’s award-winning programs this year are:
- Flood Recovery and Response Programs
After catastrophic flooding on January 22, 2024, that upended the lives of hundreds of San Diego households, SDHC quickly mobilized to provide an essential bridge of assistance for affected families until the County of San Diego’s emergency resources became available. SDHC’s efforts provided emergency temporary lodging for 313 flood-impacted households. With funding subsequently allocated by the County of San Diego and the City of San Diego, SDHC also launched the Flood Recovery Program for Displaced Residents, which disbursed more than $5.4 million to assist more than 400 flood-impacted families to obtain stable housing. The Flood Recovery Program concluded in June 2025.
- Belden Village Community Garden
The community garden at SDHC’s Belden Village affordable housing property for seniors with low income has been a catalyst for more than healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs for residents. The Belden Village Community Garden has also helped SDHC to deliver additional services to residents, such as computer skills classes and health screenings, and led to more engaged senior residents. With guidance from volunteer master gardeners, residents learn gardening skills, spend time outdoors, and participate in community activities, such as the regular harvest parties where neighbors get together to taste the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. By participating in the gardening activities, SDHC property management staff members have also been able to forge closer relationships with residents, enhancing communication, engagement and outreach, allowing them to be better aware with the needs of the residents. SDHC owns and operates Belden Village, a 243-unit affordable housing community for seniors ages 55 and older with low income.
NAHRO is a membership organization of more than 26,000 housing and community development providers and professionals throughout the United States. NAHRO’s Community Innovation Awards program honors “the achievement and innovation of NAHRO members.”
The Awards of Merit were presented September 27, 2025, at NAHRO’s 2025 National Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona.
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
