December 16, 2025
Grand Opening: 99 Affordable Rental Apartments in San Ysidro for Families with Low Income
SAN DIEGO, CA — Nearly 100 families with low income, including San Diegans experiencing homelessness, will have new affordable rental apartment homes of their own and access to a variety of on-site services at The Iris at San Ysidro, a development in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) that celebrated its grand opening today.
“This is the result, as you heard, of multiple years of dedicated problem-solving,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “This is difficult work, and the fact that we have people who are passionate about this issue, myself included, is why we’re making some progress, and hopefully people will start to feel it in their pocketbooks.”
The Iris at San Ysidro (The Iris) includes 99 apartments with rents that must remain affordable for 55 years for households earning up to 60 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income. Of those affordable apartments, 15 are for households experiencing homelessness. There is also one manager’s unit.
“This is what community-centered projects look like: housing, transit, open space, safety improvements and neighborhood investments all working together,” said City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, whose Council District includes The Iris. “Thank you for investing in San Ysidro and for delivering on a promise of affordability and dignity.”
National CORE developed The Iris in collaboration with the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, SDHC and additional partners.
“The Iris is more than just the building; it’s a bold statement about our values,” San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said. “This is not just housing; this is thoughtful, sustainable, and connected development. The Iris is exactly the model of innovative and solutions-based housing development that our region needs. What makes The Iris special is how it’s woven into the fabric of what South San Diego County is. It’s purposefully designed to combat isolation and to promote stability.”
To support the development, SDHC awarded a $2.3 million loan funded by the City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund, which SDHC administers. SDHC also awarded 25 Project-Based Housing Vouchers to The Iris to help pay rent for residents with extremely low income. These vouchers are tied directly to this development, so that when a household moves on, the voucher stays to help another household with extremely low income.
Financing for the development also included up to $31.5 million in in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds and up to $9 million in taxable bonds, which SDHC authorized. The City Council, in its role as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, approved the bonds, which are repaid through private sources of funds, such as revenue from the development. SDHC, the City of San Diego, and the Housing Authority are not financially liable for the bonds
“Too many families in our community struggle to find a home they can afford. The Iris at San Ysidro provides essential housing stability and affordability for nearly 100 families with low incomes,” SDHC Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Colin Miller said. “We value our collaboration with National CORE and everyone involved in producing these rental homes.”
National CORE named the development for the iris flower.
“The iris flower symbolizes hope, wisdom, faith, trust and bravery,” said John Seymour, National CORE’s Vice President of Acquisitions and Forward Planning for San Diego. “This is all about the people responsible for the development and the people who will be living here at The Iris.”
Additional funding for The Iris included:
- $5 million from the City of San Diego’s Bridge to Home program
- $10.5 million from the County of San Diego through its Innovative Housing Trust Fund, No Place Like Home program and Capitalized Operating Subsidy Reserve
The County’s No Place Like Home program funds will support the 15 units for households experiencing homelessness.
“By investing in affordable housing, reimagining County surplus land, promoting project-based vouchers and acquiring land, the County is dedicated to improving health outcomes, fostering stability and opening doors for residents to thrive,” said David Estrella, Director of the County’s Health and Human Services Agency’s Housing and Community Development Services department.
For residents of The Iris, Hope through Housing Foundation, a National CORE affiliate, in conjunction with Casa Familiar, will provide a wide range of services including an after-school program for children and teens, financial literacy and economic development support for families and senior services. Residents will also benefit from on-site health education opportunities and screenings from San Ysidro Health.
“Our partnerships are what create the impact for our residents, and our partnership with Casa Familiar and San Ysidro Health and San Diego PACE really is just amazing,” Hope Through Housing Foundation Regional Director Stephanie De La Torre said. “It’s going to be an amazing thing for our residents.”
“It’s a very special day when we can celebrate good things like this. We’re going to keep seeing good things, and Casa is going to keep bringing its services to all of these residents,” Casa Familiar President and CEO Lisa Cuestas said. “We have over 30 bilingual programs and services—youth services, senior services, arts and culture, financial opportunity center, immigration services. You name it, if we don’t do it, San Ysidro Health does it or National CORE helps to bring in the services for those residents who really need it.”
The County of San Diego’s Behavioral Health Services division will be the primary provider of services for the residents of the permanent supportive housing apartments for those who experienced homelessness.
The Iris is about a half mile from the Iris Avenue Transit Center that is serviced by San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus service and the Blue Line trolley. Also near the property are parks, schools, restaurants, churches and wellness facilities.
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
