June 16, 2026
Construction Underway to Create 44 Affordable Rental Homes in San Carlos for Households with Low-Income
SDHC awarded a development loan and rental housing vouchers to the project
SAN DIEGO, CA — Construction that will create 44 new affordable rental apartments in the San Carlos neighborhood for families with low income was celebrated today at a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony for Navajo Family Apartments, with construction crews working in the background on the development’s foundation.
“Housing is the most urgent issue in our city. When we talk about cost of living, the affordability crisis, yes, that’s expressed often in grocery prices and gas prices, but let’s be honest, the biggest consumer of San Diego’s household budget is the rent or the mortgage,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “And when we’re doing things that lower that cost, we’re making this city more affordable for working middle-class San Diegans. That is extremely important, and days like today are proof that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Developed by Community HousingWorks in collaboration with the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and additional partners, the Navajo Family Apartments development will include eight units set aside for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who will be able to afford to live independently.
“Right here, we are very close to an excellent high school, excellent schools. We’re close to hospitals. We’re close to the best park in all of San Diego in Mission Trails Regional Park,” said San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo, whose district includes the development site. “You have to build good, quality, affordable housing right where people can take advantage of the things that people who’ve been owning their homes for 50 years get to. … I just want to point out the people in this community, they want to see this housing come up. They want neighbors—who are the people who are working right here in the community—(to) be able to afford to live here too.”
When completed, the Navajo Family Apartments development will provide rental homes affordable for San Diegans with incomes ranging from 30 percent to 70 percent of the San Diego Area Median Income, currently $52,450 to $122,450 per year for a four-person household. These rental homes will remain affordable for 55 years.
“A lot of times we have county land right in the middle of the city, and we don’t have to work together, but when we do, more and better things are accomplished,” said San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson, who grew up nearby and today presented a proclamation designating the day as Community HousingWorks Day throughout San Diego County.
SDHC awarded a nearly $3.4 million loan toward the development, consisting of federal and local funds that SDHC administers for the City of San Diego: the City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund and federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“When these families don’t have to worry as much about their rent each month, they will have a better chance to thrive in our community,” said Colin Miller, SDHC’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development. “They can focus more on their career, school, health and enjoying time together as a family.”
SDHC also awarded eight federal rental housing vouchers to the development, which will help the residents with disabilities pay their housing costs.
These vouchers are tied directly to the development, so that when a resident moves on, the voucher remains at the site to help another eligible resident move into affordable rental housing.
The development also received $3.1 million in funding from the City of San Diego’s Bridge to Home program and $2.72 million from the County of San Diego’s Innovative Housing Trust Fund.
The development site previously was the location of a long-shuttered restaurant.
“We’re plugging into a lot of the services that are already available here. Great schools, great parks, retail that’s immediately adjacent as well as transit as well. These are the things that are really building blocks for the residents that we provide housing to and give them the best chance to really expand and grow and truly thrive in their lives as they settle into neighborhoods just like this one,” Community HousingWorks President & CEO Sean Spear said.
The San Diego Regional Center contributed a capital investment toward the development and will provide long-term case management support for the residents of the eight rental apartments reserved for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Having a safe and comfortable home is the realization of inclusion and integration into the wider community. These apartments are more than just four walls and a roof — more than a place to hang one’s hat,” said Saralynn Keenan, Community Services Manager for the San Diego Regional Center. “These apartments are a place to call home, and home is no small thing. Home is where you can be your full self. Home is where you can map out your future. Home is where you commune with neighbors and friends and for many, this will be the very first home that they are able to call their own.”
The development, expected to open in 2027, will include 21 one-bedroom units, 11 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units, and one unrestricted manager’s unit
Navajo Family Apartments will consist of a four-story building and include 58 parking spaces, along with a community room, a computer room, a conference room, bicycle storage, laundry facilities and a tot lot.
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
