The ever-increasing need for affordable housing in San Diego was partially alleviated Tuesday with the grand opening of a 124-unit housing development in Grantville called ShoreLINE.
The development, which is a collaboration between the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and Affirmed Housing, was built on a former MTS parking lot and sits just 40 yards away from the Grantville Transit Center, which is near Interstate 8 and just east of Interstate 15.
Ryan Clumpner, the vice-chair of the San Diego Housing Commission, said ShoreLINE is a great example of building housing close to public transit.
“More than half the people who live here are relying on public transit and don’t have to pay for a car," Clumpner said. "So, being able to have housing that they can afford, that is next to transit, is really important to them.”
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The ShoreLINE housing development will house people or families who make 30-60% of San Diego’s median income; rent will not exceed 30% of their gross income.
“That’s important because it allows them to take the rest of their income for food, education, all the needs a family has,” Clumpner said. “They’ll now spend that money in this area locally, and they aren’t stuck spending 50-60% of their income on housing instead.”
The demand for affordable housing in San Diego is highlighted by the number of applications ShoreLINE has received: On average, affordable housing units have 3 applicants per unit. but ShoreLINE has averaged 7.
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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was on hand for Tuesday's grand opening, saying, “Make no mistake: When it comes to aggressively tackling our housing crisis from South Bay to north city, we are getting the job done.”
