2 days ago
More than 160 affordable housing units opened at old Mission Valley hotel
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — More than 160 affordable housing units opened last month in Mission Valley after the completion of a project to rehabilitate an aged extended-stay hotel and convert it into rental apartments.
The San Diego Housing Commission broke ground on the project, referred to as Presidio Palms, last fall as part of regional efforts to expand long-term, supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness by repurposing underutilized buildings.
The more than $80 million project at the Hotel Circle property was supported in large part by funds made available through California's Homekey program, an initiative to support construction of a broad range of housing for people experiencing homelessness.
San Diego approved its controversial trash fee: What's next?
All of the units created at Presidio Palms will be allocated to people through the Regional Task Force on Homelessness' Coordinated Entry System, which screens and matches those experiencing homelessness with available housing options based on their needs.
According to SDHC, the residents at Presidio Palms will also receive federally-funded housing vouchers, like Section 8, to support rental costs.
Besides the units, the facility was also retrofitted to include space for on-site services, such as mental and behavioral health support, employment and skills training, substance use services, and case management.
It is also close by to public transit stops that allow people to easily get to the Fashion Valley and Old Town Metropolitan Transit System hubs.
'With support from the state's Homekey program and strong local investment, 161 San Diegans now have a safe place to call home—along with the supportive services they need to stay housed,' San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said Thursday, celebrating the opening of the complex.
'Presidio Palms shows what's possible when we act with urgency and work together to deliver housing that ends homelessness,' he continued.
Concerns grow over early plans to build in South Park canyon
According to the commission, Presidio Palms' more than 200 residents across 161 households began moving into the building on May 27. It brings the total number of supportive housing units created in the city using Homekey funds up to 608.
More than a half-dozen other affordable housing complexes managed by the Housing Commission are in development, which would add an extra 1,102 deed-restricted and supportive housing units to its portfolio by 2027.
'Today, Presidio Palms is a home and a source of hope for many of our previously unhoused neighbors,' SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. 'Reaching this point is possible because of collaboration among all levels of government as well as local organizations.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
