San Diego County Locations of Deed Restricted "Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing" NOAH An "affordable" deed restricted studio or 1-bedroom apartment costs between $1,300 and $2,000 per month. June, 2026. NOAH Neighborhoods: City Heights, Barrio Logan, San Ysidro, El Cajon.

Deed-Restricted Affordable Housing: Households earning 30% to 80% AMI.

Our Mayor, The Affordable Housing Genius, is Traveling the USA, Teaching Cities How to do it Todd Gloria's Way

Nothing to brag about!

Housing Sticker Shock!

  • Moderate-Income Attainment: the city has attained only 5.2% of its moderate- and low-income targets.

  • Deed Restricted Supply: The housing stock for 50%–120% AMI is only 4% to 10% of units.

In the City of San Diego, 73.4% to 88% of new housing is priced for above-moderate income households (those earning over 120% of the Area Median Income), depending on the specific building category.

The city has shifted almost entirely to infill--luxury high rise apartments--near transit corridors to meet climate & land-use goals.

For a two-person household earning 60% of the AMI ($79,380 annually), the gross rent at a deed-restricted unit would be $1,985.

The City of San Diego (8th largest city in USA, POP. 1.3M) permitted 90,000 new housing units, almost all apartments, from April 2021 to April 2025; 75,000 units are for high income, an individual earning over $130,000.

san diego real estate san diego rentals 525 olive Simone apartment greystar san diego re la jolla real estate pacific beach ca where to live san diego apartments for rent san diego luxury apartments san diego todd gloria ron zeff max zeff matt awbrey chris cate kelly moden matt awbrey land use san diego affordable housing in san diego aduS APARTMENT RENTALS SAN DIEGO HOUSES FOR SALE SAN DIEGO FAMILY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOODS SAN DIEGO CA WHERE TO LIVE IN SAN DIEGO WITH KIDS GREEN SPACE AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS SAN DIEGO COMMUTE TO WORK

Pacific Beach: mini unit 250 sqft, hot plate, toilet, space for double bed, no parking, $1,595 rent 2026

Hillcrest mini units 250-300 sqft, fold-down Murphy bed, no parking.$1,675 rent

Mayor Gloria,

Do you expect me to ride my leg-powered bicycle in this traffic? On these hills? I drive a car because I can't get to most places easily on a bicycle. Even if I could do the hills, it would take too long and it's not safe. Most bicycle lanes are too narrow to ride safely in traffic. The poor condition of streets makes riding a bike hazardous even without traffic.

This is not Chicago, NYC, Boston, L.A. and other cities where it's often easier to ride the train/subway than to drive.

San Diego's public transportation system isn't available 24/7/365 and it's getting cut 30%. We need a better solution, something that can be used by most people, most of the time. That's safe. And it's not bike lanes.

Cordially,

Trudy G

Summer 2026

Clairemont ADU 440 sqft, space for double bed, no parking. $1,750-$2,500 rent

Housing is considered “affordable” when it doesn't cost more than 30% of a household’s gross annual income. This includes rent or mortgage, utilities, and insurance. As of 2025, the Area Median Income (AMI) for San Diego County is $130,800 for a family of four.

The phrase “affordable housing” typically refers to housing that is required to keep rents affordable for individuals and families earning at or below 60% of the AMI. This is also known as “deed-restricted” affordable housing.

2025 Annual Report on Homes 87%+ newly built units are above-moderate (market-rate) price
  • Single-Family Homes: 100% are priced for above-moderate income.

  • Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): 88% are built as market-rate for above-moderate income (with 11% moderate and less than 1% low/very low).

  • Multi-Family Developments (Apartments/Condos): 87% are market-rate units geared toward above-moderate income, while 13% are deed-restricted as affordable.

https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/final_2025-annual-report-on-homes-v2.pdf

Market-rate production makes up 75% of the annual housing built, while low- and moderate-income projects fail to meet the goals set by the state's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) guidelines.