A ribbon cutting celebration was held today in Mission Valley at the new Presidio Palms Apartments, a former extended stay hotel that has been converted into 161 affordable housing units for people experiencing homelessness. Residents began moving into their new homes at the end of May.
Presidio Palms offers on-site access to supportive services for all residents including outreach and engagement, mental health services, healthcare/physical health services, behavioral health services, substance use services, case management; care coordination, life skills training, education and employment services, assistance obtaining benefits, and essential documentation through County contractor, Telecare. The San Diego Housing Commission will handle operations.
Apartment renovations include new heating and air conditioning, new lighting and flooring, fresh paint inside and out, new doors and beds, solar panels, updated fire sprinklers and a security system. A community room and office spaces were added to the property, which is also within walking distance of Metropolitan Transit Systems (MTS) bus stops.
The reconstruction of Presidio Palms has been a collaborative effort that includes federal housing vouchers and state Homekey funds, along with support from the County of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission, the City of San Diego and Regional Task Force on Homelessness.
The state committed $35 million toward the purchase and refurbishment of Presidio Palms. The County allocated $17.8 million in capital funds along with more than $8.5 million over five years toward the necessary behavioral health supportive services for residents. The City contributed an additional $17.8 million and the Regional Task Force for the Homeless (RTFH) added $1.1 million in funding. Construction work began about 7 months ago.
Presidio Palms is one of six County-supported affordable housing developments since 2020 to be approved under the State Homekey and now Homekey+ program., with a seventh housing development in the planning stages. This partnership has resulted in 616 supportive units in the City of San Diego with an additional 81 units on the way:
- Valley Vista Apartments, 192 units.
- Kearny Vista Apartments, 144 units.
- PATH Villas El Cerrito, 41 units.
- The Shores at North Beach, 13 units.
- Pacific Village, 63 units.
- Presidio Palms, 163 units.
- 7798 Starling Drive, 81 units.
Since 2017, the County has invested more than $327 million into affordable housing, using excess land, its Innovative Housing Trust Fund, and other state, federal and local funding. Those funds have helped open doors to 2,738 homes, with 3,232 more on the way.
More information on the County’s ongoing response to the housing crisis can be found at the Housing Blueprint.
