The old site of the Serra Mesa Library will soon be home to 59 affordable apartments, with half of them dedicated to military veterans and the other half for families at risk of homelessness. 

To help make this project possible, the City of San Diego is providing $4 million through Bridge to Home, an innovative City program that has already helped create 1,353 affordable homes across San Diego.  

The City Council recently approved a long-term lease with Community HousingWorks to develop the Serra Mesa Apartments on Sandrock Road. The City Council also approved funding for another Bridge to Home project—the Navajo Family Apartments—which will add 44 more affordable homes, including units for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.  

These projects demonstrate how we're turning underused public land into much-needed housing — ensuring more San Diegans can have a roof over their head at a price they can afford. 

When Keaton and her two young sons arrived at a City Safe Parking lot, they were out of options. After bouncing between hotels and at risk of winding up on the streets, the family finally found a community in our Safe Parking program. The program supported them in securing employment, housing, and getting a fresh start. Keaton described the program as life-changing, saying, “I could finally breathe.” 

Success stories like Keaton’s are why I and the rest of the California Big City Mayors are pushing for continued State funding for the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program. Over the past four years, HHAP has helped more than 13,000 people in San Diego get services and shelter; reunited nearly 2,000 individuals with family; and funded efforts that have reduced downtown tent encampments significantly.  

We’ve made real progress that we can see on our streets, but without continued, permanent funding, these critical programs could disappear—leaving thousands without the support they need. That’s why we’ve been testifying at state budget hearings, urging legislators to fully fund HHAP Round 7 at no less than $1 billion and make this funding permanent. 

We cannot afford to backslide when it comes to homelessness in California. Cities are on the frontlines of this crisis, and we need this investment to keep getting people off the streets and connecting them to care and housing. 

Ensuring equity isn’t about a single office or title—it’s about making lasting, systemic change. In a new essay for the San Diego Union-Tribune, I set the record straight on how my administration is embedding equity into every City policy, budget decision, and program. 

Read more about the work we’ve done to make more equitable decisions at City Hall and uplift historically underserved communities here, and how that work will continue as we move forward.