San Diego’s housing crisis requires more than familiar promises. It demands creative use of suitable public land, including property associated with neighborhood libraries. But building affordable homes should not require communities to surrender the public spaces they already rely on.
The city is evaluating 11 publicly owned properties as possible locations for affordable housing. Seven are connected to library sites, including locations in Mira Mesa, Clairemont, North Park, University City, University Heights, Allied Gardens and Linda Vista. The properties are being considered through San Diego’s Affordable Home Development Master Plan, an effort to lower development costs and accelerate construction by using land the city already owns.
The concept deserves serious support. By combining publicly owned land with efficient construction methods, including prefabricated modular designs where appropriate, the city may be able to reduce costs, construction waste and neighborhood disruption while delivering homes sooner.
Yet support for housing does not require giving the city a blank check. San Diego should adopt a clear condition for every library-related project: a no-loss guarantee.
That guarantee should mean no net loss of functional library space, operating capacity, accessibility or essential services. Where redevelopment makes expansion possible, communities should receive improved libraries designed for their growing needs, not replacements squeezed into whatever space remains after housing is planned.
Libraries are not merely buildings where books are stored. They are among the few indoor public places where people can spend time without being expected to buy anything. Students use them for homework and internet access. Job seekers prepare applications. Families attend children’s programs, older residents find connection, and people without dependable technology use computers and Wi-Fi.
As a Mira Mesa resident and parent, I see how much a neighborhood library contributes to the life around it. The Mira Mesa Library has served the community at its present location since 1994. It houses materials in languages including Tagalog, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Vietnamese and Spanish. It also offers children’s programming, a teen center and community events — services that reflect the neighborhood’s diversity.
Affordable housing and strong libraries do not have to compete. When planned together, they can reinforce one another. Residents could gain homes close to educational resources, technology and community gathering space. Libraries could receive modernized facilities and a larger community of users.
Achieving that outcome requires safeguards before developers are selected and designs become difficult to change. Every proposal should disclose its effect on library square footage, program rooms, operating hours, parking, outdoor areas and public access. The city should publish these measurements before and after redevelopment so residents can determine whether the no-loss guarantee is being honored.
The city must also plan for uninterrupted library service during construction. If a branch must temporarily close or relocate, residents should know where its programs, collections, computers and staff will go. Any temporary facility should be accessible, reasonably close and ready before the existing location closes.
Accessibility must be incorporated from the beginning. Safe pedestrian and wheelchair routes, usable elevators, accessible parking, drop-off areas and connections to public transportation cannot be afterthoughts. Families with young children, seniors and people with disabilities should not face new barriers in a project intended to expand opportunity.
San Diego should also evaluate whether prefabricated modular construction could shorten building timelines and reduce disruption and waste. Reused shipping containers may be appropriate for certain smaller projects, but they are not automatically the most sustainable option once structural alterations, insulation and transportation are considered.
Rather than prescribing one building type, the city should require competing proposals to disclose their projected construction waste, embodied carbon, energy performance and installation timelines. Public land could then become a testing ground for housing that is not only affordable to occupy but also efficient and less carbon-intensive to build.
The city must define “affordable” clearly. Residents should know how many homes are proposed, which income levels they will serve, whether family-sized units will be included and how long affordability restrictions will remain in place. The word should represent an enforceable commitment, not a broad promise that becomes less meaningful as a project advances.
Parking and traffic concerns deserve site-specific analysis, but they should not become automatic reasons to reject affordable housing. A location near frequent transit may require a different solution from one where residents and library visitors remain heavily dependent on cars.
Finally, the city should create a public scorecard for each site. It could track proposed housing units, affordability levels, library space, accessibility commitments, environmental performance, construction disruptions and responses to community recommendations. That would turn transparency from a meeting-room promise into a record residents can follow.
San Diego’s Library Master Plan envisions branches that are equitable, accessible and prepared to meet growing community needs. The Affordable Home Development Master Plan should advance that vision, not compete with it.
San Diego does not have to choose between housing people and preserving public space. A successful project should provide affordable homes, a stronger library and construction practices that respect the environment and surrounding neighborhood.
That is the promise of using public land for public benefit — and the no-loss standard San Diego should establish before possibilities become permanent plans.
Shikha Bansal is a San Diego-based writer and community advocate.
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