Aiming to expand housing options for first-time homebuyers, young professionals, families with children and middle-income households, Mayor Todd Gloria is launching Neighborhood Homes for All of Us. The initiative supports the thoughtful integration of small-scale neighborhood homes – such as townhomes, rowhomes and cottages – in San Diego’s neighborhoods in a manner that enhances the surrounding community.  

The initiative also aims to support community land trusts, a mechanism to create access to homeownership, build generational wealth and prevent displacement. 

A public-engagement process will kick off this week to hear from San Diegans, whose input will help guide what these neighborhood homes look like and how the City develops the program moving forward. 

“Since Day 1 of my administration, I have been focused on building more homes that San Diegans can actually afford – and getting them built faster,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “’Neighborhood Homes for All of Us’ is the latest piece of that puzzle. This innovative program will break down the barriers that have gotten in the way of building the type of housing that I believe is ideal for young families and first-time homebuyers for whom the dream of homeownership has long felt out of reach.”  

In San Diego, 80% of land zoned for housing is designated for single-family homes. While single-family homes remain an essential part of the city’s housing stock, their rising prices have made purchasing or renting in these highly desirable neighborhoods difficult for many people. Much of the new housing being built in San Diego today consists of apartment buildings with primarily studio and one-bedroom units, which meet the needs of many San Diegans but do not always provide the space families need to live comfortably.  

To address this, Neighborhood Homes for All of Us aims to increase opportunities for more small-scale neighborhood homes in single-family neighborhoods with strong access to quality jobs, education, transit and other amenities. Several community-based organizations have expressed interest in the ability to create community land trusts in disadvantaged communities as a way to keep housing affordable for low- and moderate-income families. 

Neighborhood Homes for All of Us will include renderings that visualize small-scale neighborhood homes within San Diego’s existing and thriving communities, along with new regulations that provide a clear pathway for building these homes. The renderings will help guide the development of regulations to ensure neighborhood homes meet the needs of future families and fit well within the communities where they are built. 

“San Diego is an incredible place to raise a family, and more families need the opportunity to do that in San Diego’s existing, highly desirable single-family neighborhoods where their kids can learn and play in a great community,” said City Planning Director Heidi Vonblum. “But today, that comes at a price that is out of reach for too many. Integrating more options for families requires careful and thoughtful planning, with input from existing and future community members across the city, to ensure these new home opportunities for San Diego’s families are built in ways that best enhance and benefit San Diego’s amazing neighborhoods.” 

Community input will be central to shaping this initiative. Public participation will help the City develop renderings of ideal neighborhood homes, which will eventually shape the regulations that will allow these new homes to be built.  

Neighborhood Homes for All of Us will occur in two phases:  

Phase 1 (Winter 2025 – Summer 2026): This phase aims to determine what neighborhood homes should look like through a feasibility study, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and workshops. Specific dates for engagement events will be released as the initiative progresses. 

Phase 2 (Summer 2026 – Winter 2026): This phase will involve developing clear regulations for building more neighborhood homes, informed by public engagement in Phase 1 and ongoing community feedback. 

Neighborhood Homes for All of Us is partially funded through a Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). For more information and to receive updates on the initiative, visit the Neighborhood Homes for All webpage.