The City of San Diego’s unique housing permitting program, Affordable Housing Permit Now, was honored last week by the San Diego Housing Federation (SDHF) at its annual Ruby Awards ceremony, which highlights the finest of San Diego’s affordable housing projects, supporters and developers. The Development Services Department was awarded “Exemplary Public Service” for the implementation of its Affordable Housing Permit Now program (AHPN), an initiative launched in response to an executive order from Mayor Todd Gloria to help get affordable homes approved and built faster. 

The City’s AHPN program created a guaranteed 30-business-day review timeline for 100% deed-restricted affordable housing and emergency shelter projects. Through dedicated DSD project managers, coordinated department reviews and early collaboration with applicants, the City has replaced long and unpredictable approval timelines with a faster, more accountable process. Average permit review timelines by the City were only nine days, consistently meeting and exceeding the 30-day target.  

The 273-unit Harrington Heights development in Downtown is one of the first affordable housing developments that utilized the Affordable Housing Permit Now program. It earned Project of the Year for a new construction with more than 90 units at the SDHF Ruby Awards. This Chelsea Investment Corporation development provides hundreds of low-cost rental homes for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and low-income individuals and families who simply cannot afford to rent in San Diego’s extremely high rental market without such targeted programs. The City provided a ground lease for the 19,000-square-foot site and also contributed $10 million toward the project. 

Serenade on 43rd by Wakeland Housing & Community Development Corporation, which also benefited from the AHPN program, earned a Ruby for Rehabilitation Project of the Year. This development brought 64 affordable homes to City Heights, including 32 homes that provide critical supportive services for families who previously experienced homelessness. This includes mental health services and supportive assistance for learning basic needs such as banking and grocery shopping. Twenty existing lower-priced rental apartments were rehabilitated as part of the development, and the rental prices were kept low.  

The results of the AHPN program have been clear: it substantially reduces timeframes. Projects that would have taken a year or more to permit in the past are now regularly approved in just months. Since launching three years ago, Affordable Housing Permit Now has helped move 63 projects forward, representing 7,246 total homes. That includes 2,848 completed affordable homes, 1,589 homes under construction and 2,809 homes currently in the review process. The program has also supported 387 emergency shelter beds. 

In addition to the developments accelerated through Affordable Housing Permit Now, other City-backed projects are expanding housing opportunities citywide. Launched in 2021 by Mayor Gloria, the City’s Bridge to Home program helps developers close financing gaps to make their developments a reality.  

Jacaranda on 9th, by Community HousingWorks, a Bridge to Home development, brought home a Ruby for Project of the Year for new construction with fewer than 90 homes. It recently opened 87 affordable apartment homes in the Cortez Hill neighborhood of Downtown San Diego. Serenade on 43rd was also supported by Bridge to Home.

The City’s comprehensive approach to leverage City property, provide gap financing and ultimately, fast-track the review process is enabling San Diego to get more people into rental housing they can afford much faster than in past years.