City of San Diego considers city-owned sites for future affordable housing

The City of San Diego is considering whether some of its existing properties could eventually be used to build affordable housing as it looks for ways to address the region’s housing shortage.

The city is developing its Affordable Home Development Master Plan, an effort focused on identifying city-owned land that could potentially accommodate affordable homes.

The city says San Diego faces a shortage of affordable housing in part because land is expensive and undeveloped land is limited. The master plan is examining whether the city can make better use of property it already owns.

After evaluating more than 400 city-owned properties, the city narrowed the list to 20 sites, including 11 it considers the most promising for potential future housing development.

Among those sites are seven public libraries:

• University Heights
• University City
• Allied Gardens
• Mira Mesa
• Linda Vista
• North Park
• Clairemont

The city is also considering two vacant lots in Point Loma and San Ysidro, as well as city workyards in Clairemont and Golden Hill.

The city emphasizes that no housing is currently being built on the properties included in the study.

“City services would remain on site, and no housing is being built on the properties included in this study at this time,” the city says.

Instead, the master plan is intended to evaluate potential opportunities and determine where affordable housing could eventually be incorporated on city-owned sites.

That distinction is important for residents concerned about the future of public libraries and other community facilities.

Sam Chandna, a San Diego resident, said he supports building more public and affordable housing but questioned why libraries would need to be considered for redevelopment.

“Why does it have to be the one resource that serves the community, that can teach ESL classes, that can be a safe haven for kids after school,” Chandna said.

The city says part of the planning process will be determining how essential services could continue operating at each site while also evaluating whether housing could eventually be built there.

The city is asking residents for feedback through an about the potential redevelopment of the properties.

The master plan is still in its early stages, and there are currently no approved housing projects for the sites. The city expects to complete the master plan next year.

Any housing development that ultimately moves forward would likely be years away.

The city’s survey is open until 5 p.m. Friday, August 28.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.