Local leaders have broken ground on 100 new affordable rental apartments on a vacant portion of a parking lot at the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station.
The SkyLINE Apartments are being developed by Affirmed Housing in collaboration with the city, county, Metropolitan Transit System and San Diego Housing Commission, among others.
The project will consist of affordable rental apartments for households earning 30% to 55% of the San Diego Area Median Income, or between $41,350 to $75,790 per year for a family of four, according to a news release by the commission.
The apartments at SkyLINE, set to open in 2026, will consist of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that will remain affordable for decades.
San Diego Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert, who represents the district where SkyLINE is being built, said Thursday’s groundbreaking was the second in Rancho Bernardo for affordable housing with Affirmed.
“We pushed for years to get affordable housing up here in District 5 … into Rancho Bernardo and Scripps Ranch,” she said.
The housing commission awarded 30 federal rental housing vouchers to the development to help pay rent for residents with the lowest incomes. The vouchers are tied directly to this development.
Local financing included the issuance of $42.5 million in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds through the commission, a $5 million loan from the city through the Bridge to Home program and a $2 million loan from the county through its Innovative Housing Trust Fund.
The state added a nearly $4.5 million Infill Infrastructure Grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development.
According to the developers, ConAm Management Corporation will manage the apartments, and Compass for Affordable Housing will provide services to tenants, including adult education, exercise and classes on a variety of subjects, from art and financial literacy to health and wellness and nutrition.
Site amenities include a children’s play area, a community room with a computer room, shaded outdoor gathering spaces with built-in seating and a leasing office.
“SkyLINE will bring much-needed affordable housing units to the Rancho Bernardo community,” said San Diego Councilman Stephen Whitburn, also MTS’ board chair. “This development goes beyond affordable housing. It also aims to build a thriving community … Additionally, SkyLINE will make it convenient for its residents to connect with the rest of San Diego by offering accessible transit just steps away from their front door.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
Note: Photo credit – A rendering of the SkyLINE project on display at the groundbreaking. Screen shot, County San Diego via YouTube
