Local leaders broke ground on the Union Tower Project, which is expected to bring more than 90 affordable housing units to National City in the next couple of years. NBC 7’s Kelvin Henry reports.
Construction is underway for the Union Tower development, which is expected to bring more than 90 affordable housing units to National City in the coming years.
The development, located on F Avenue, is set to be finished in approximately two years, according to the project's developer.
“Two new buildings and some community space with 94 new apartments, including 24 three-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom apartments, 45 one-bedroom units, and 24 of those will be homes set aside for veterans currently experiencing homelessness,” Carol Kim, CEO of San Diego County Building Trades Council Family Housing Corporation, said.
The community is being built as local leaders are searching for ways to add affordable housing in the San Diego area.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
“This is what we need to address the housing crisis moving forward,” National City Councilmember Marcus Bush said.
There will be specific criteria for potential renters to meet in order to qualify for a rental unit.
“Everyone living here will be low-income, so they will be making 60% or less of the area median income," Rebecca Louie, president of Wakeland Housing & Development Corporation, said. "For a family of four, that’s somewhere around like $80,000 or less."
Local
The project will include 45 spaces, including five electric vehicle parking spaces and 16 bicycle parking spaces, according to the developer.
The total project cost estimate is $77,135,715 funded by both public and private dollars, the developer said.
National City leaders are continuing to search for ways to provide affordable housing options.
“We need to take an all-hands approach. I support rent control as well, so that’s also something. Rent stabilization and rent control is another tool in the toolkit. We need to build more housing, and that’s something we support here,” Bush said.
