October 15, 2026
San Diego Housing Commission Initiatives Earn National Awards
New affordable rental homes for unhoused San Diegans and support for Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist families are honored among the nation’s best
SAN DIEGO—The San Diego Housing Commission’s (SDHC) collaborative initiatives that produced more than 220 new affordable rental homes with supportive services for previously unhoused San Diegans and provided support for families waiting for federal rental assistance have been honored with national Awards of Merit from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
“These initiatives are making a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of vulnerable individuals because of our collaborations with government agencies and community partners and the dedication of our exceptional staff,” SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. “The leadership of our City Council, Mayor and Board of Commissioners also are instrumental for our development and implementation of innovative approaches like these. We thank NAHRO for recognizing our community’s efforts.”
The Awards of Merit, part of the NAHRO Community Innovation Awards Program, give national recognition to public housing programs, initiatives and developments. They represent best practices in housing and community development, and the recognized initiatives are included in a resource bank of innovative activities among housing and community development organizations.
The three honored SDHC initiatives are:
- Pacific Village – Veterans, transition-age youth and additional San Diegans who lived in their cars, in shelters or on the streets now have their own furnished affordable rental homes with access to supportive services at a former motel that the SDHC converted into studio apartments at the property now known as Pacific Village. The development includes 62 new, furnished, affordable rental studio apartments with supportive services to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents in the City of San Diego. SDHC oversaw the conversion, owns and manages the property, and administers federal rental assistance for all residents.
- Presidio Palms – This is a powerful example of rapid, collaborative housing innovation— which in seven months turned a vacant extended-stay hotel into more than 160 furnished homes with supportive services for San Diegans experiencing homelessness. The SDHC-led rehabilitation of the property shows how extensive teamwork at the federal, state, county and city level can come together to create life-changing housing opportunities that change lives through affordable housing and supportive services. SDHC oversaw the conversion, owns and manages the property, and administers federal rental assistance for all residents.
- Working with Waitlisted Program – Through this program, SDHC provided services to help households on the waitlist for federal rental assistance overcome barriers to leasing housing, such as low credit and limited savings. Participants received free one‑on‑one financial coaching, employment counseling, income supports, and access to credit‑building tools. SDHC, in partnership with LISC San Diego, invited 300 households, of which 102 enrolled. By the program’s end, all enrolled households met with a financial counselor, 75 improved their credit score, 13 established a credit score for the first time, 69 were placed in jobs, 81 increased their wages, and 23 enrolled in education or training programs. The program was made possible with a $90,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente San Diego Community Health.
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 were announced at the NAHRO National Conference & Exhibition in downtown Denver on October 14, 2026.
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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall,
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7138
scottm@sdhc.org
