After a months-long process, a former skydiving center in downtown San Diego will be developed into affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness.
The building on Imperial Avenue will be run by Father Joe’s Villages, and the units would be right next to Father Joe’s East Village Campus.
“We’re very excited for this opportunity to add more affordable housing to San Diego. We know that affordable housing, and housing in general, is what breaks the cycle of homelessness,” Josh Bohannan, senior director of government relations with Father Joe’s Villages, said.
Right now, the building is a homeless response center owned by the city of San Diego, but Father Joe’s Villages plans to transform it into a 15-story affordable housing building with 176 units.
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“We have people in our shelter system who are ready for that next step. They have two jobs, where they just completed their bachelor’s degree, and in San Diego, there there is no affordable place to live,” Bohannan said.
This location gives its residents access to social services, as well as access to transportation since it's next to the MTS trolley line.
“Access to all the, you know, group classes that we have and just really bridging people to the larger ecosystem of what we have in San Diego and making sure that they have support and services to really help them retain their housing and progress in their life,” Bohannan said.
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Bohannan said Father Joe’s Villages goal is to have a total of 2,000 affordable housing units across all its sites by 2025. They currently have just under 1,000.
He said the development process for the former skydiving center site may take about two years, and it could take a while before the community sees a difference.
“Building affordable housing is a very long process, and I think that's why we're not seeing a resolution to our crisis. We’re investing in affordable housing, but development takes some time,” Bohannan said.
It’s unknown how much Father Joe’s Villages will pay for the building, but Bohannan said it’s very likely that philanthropic state, county, and federal funding will help cover the cost.
