Housing Permits Issued to 27 Projects in San Diego with Over 2,800 Homes Planned

Over a period of 18 months, a total of 27 projects that include 2,834 homes have been permitted in the city of San Diego, it was announced Thursday.

The projects are located throughout San Diego, with developments in eight of the nine City Council districts, according to a news release from the city. More than 86% of them are near transit.

In 2023, 9,700 new homes were permitted in 2023, an 82% increase over the prior year and the highest number of permits since at least 2005, according to city records.

An order by Mayor Todd Gloria, signed on Jan. 11, 2023, requires that all 100% income-restricted affordable housing projects be reviewed and processed in 30 days or fewer.

The city has succeeded in meeting that goal, which, according to Gloria’s office, has benefitted the housing market and helped to bring rental costs down.

The median home price in San Diego in June was $998,000, according to Realtor.com, with median rent, Zillow.com reported, at $3,144.

The city planning department’s Annual Report on Homes found that in 2023, the number of income-restricted homes in San Diego quadrupled; 42% of those, following the executive order, averaged a processing time of seven days.

“By streamlining the permitting process, we are making it easier to bring affordable homes to market and we’re doing it faster,” Gloria said. “These 27 projects totaling more than 2,800 homes are just the beginning. We will continue to push for innovative solutions to ensure every San Diegan has a roof over their head at a price they can afford.”

In January 2024, Gloria signed a second executive order on housing to create Complete Communities Now, a program that “applies expedited permitting to housing developments near public transit,” a city statement reads. Since its launch two months later, 10 projects totaling 625 homes have been approved.

– Staff and wire reports