There may be a small sign of relief for San Diego renters, but housing advocates say the region’s affordability crisis is far from over.
A newly released “Affordable Housing Needs Report” from the California Housing Partnership found that while average rents in San Diego County have dipped slightly over the past year, many working families still cannot afford to live in the region.
“Simply put, our research shows those who keep San Diego running cannot afford to live here,” said Danielle Mazzella with the California Housing Partnership.
According to the report, a family of four earning up to $139,900 annually — or 80 percent of the area median income — is still considered low-income in San Diego County. Researchers say many of those households are spending such a large portion of their income on rent that little is left over for essentials like food, childcare and transportation.
“These households spend far too much on rent, leaving very little for food, child care and other necessities,” Mazzella said.
The report did highlight some progress in affordable housing development. Roughly 7,000 rent-restricted housing units were either built or acquired in the last year — a 90 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Mazzella credited previous government investments for helping boost affordable housing production across the county.
However, housing advocates warn that momentum could slow. The report found that state and federal funding dedicated to affordable housing dropped by roughly $71 million in the last fiscal year, nearly a 10 percent decrease.
Currently, an estimated 130,000 low-income renter households in San Diego County do not have access to affordable housing, according to the report.
“We may be reaching an inflection point. A place where the crisis isn’t deepening at the same rate, but it is still deep. It is far from resolved,” said Stephen Russell of the San Diego Housing Federation.
At the same time, a separate survey from rental website Zumper found that San Diego is no longer among the ten most expensive rental markets in the country. San Diego now ranks 12th nationally, with average rents for a one-bedroom apartment falling more than 2 percent over the past year to around $2,200 per month.
Alan Gin, an economics professor at the University of San Diego, said increased apartment construction has helped ease pressure on rents.
“Housing has been really stressful for people living in San Diego, and it’s good news we’re no longer in the top ten,” Gin said.
Gin noted that apartment construction in San Diego is happening at roughly double the pace of other major California cities on a per-capita basis, a trend he says is helping keep rents from climbing even higher.
The report also connects the region’s affordable housing shortage to homelessness. Researchers found there are just over 8,000 shelter beds available countywide, despite nearly 10,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in San Diego County.
Officials with the region’s annual Point-in-Time Count also warned that homelessness among seniors is rising faster than in other age groups, adding another layer of concern to the county’s ongoing housing challenges.