UCAN's Affordable Housing Resource Guide

This month, the San Diego City Council voted to “Declare a Continued State of Emergency Due to the Severe Shortage of Affordable Housing in the City.” In fact, the Council has been doing this every month since 2002! One might think that in those four years the Council and other local government agencies would have acted to actually create significantly more affordable housing in the County. Unfortunately, the results from the various actions taken have been mixed at best. Many of the programs are well designed but are under-funded and come with long waiting lists. Other programs sound good but turn out to be ineffective. In addition, a lack of political will, influence from the building industry, government budget deficits, and other factors have prevented some jurisdictions from doing anything at all.

The good news is that there are some good resources out there and that a substantial amount of affordable housing information is easily accessible on the internet. UCAN recently surveyed local agencies for information about programs in the County of San Diego. The resources listed below constitute a comprehensive resource guide for anyone who thinks their income qualifies them for affordable rental or for-sale housing assistance programs. Also, be sure to visit our Affordable Housing Forum for listings of the cheapest housing available in San Diego. Follow the links and good luck!