SAN DIEGO, CA - San Diego's move last year to leave the federal public housing program as a way to create more affordable opportunities for low-income households has earned it a special award from a national housing organization. The award of merit, which recognizes outstanding, innovative achievements in affordable housing and community development, was given to the San Diego Housing Commission, which is one of the few housing agencies in the nation to transition out of the federally funded program.
Although the commission is now financially responsible for managing its former public housing units, it did obtain vouchers from the federal government that subsidize the rents of the more than 1,350 households living there. In addition, the commission hopes to leverage those rental units to create at least 350 additional affordable dwellings.
Handing out the award was the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment, which represents 3,200 housing and community development agencies and 19,500 individual members.
The commission was also recognized for:
Money Moves, a financial education after-school club for low-income teens. It serves youth who live in the Housing Commission's affordable-housing project in Carmel Valley. The program gives youth direct experience in managing and saving money.
Renaissance at North Park, a mixed-use development that includes 108 units of affordable housing, 24 market-rate homes and commercial space. The project received funding and other support from the commission and San Diego's Redevelopment Agency.
Bilingual Computer Literacy Skills Training, which offers a series of four 12-hour computer classes for Latino women adults at a commission-owned housing project in San Ysidro.
Source: SignOnSanDiego.com