Housing for All

Initiative Overview

The San Diego region is facing a serious housing shortage. With so few homes available and prices continuing to rise, many people, including those at risk of experiencing homelessness, can’t find affordable options. There simply hasn’t been enough homes built to keep up with the region’s growth, especially for families with the lowest incomes. Addressing this crisis requires shared responsibility and tremendous collaboration with private industry, nonprofit organizations, and other local governments in the region. 

In response to the crisis, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) has launched housing initiatives to make it easier for people to build, find, and keep a home.  These efforts include using publicly owned land for housing, supporting the construction of affordable homes, establishing programs to connect people to housing opportunities, and streamlining the permitting process so housing can be built faster.

The Board also adopted five overarching housing goals within the County’s vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all:

These goals (the 5 Ps) are a roadmap to expand affordable housing options, keep more people in their homes, improve efficiency, streamline processes, and strengthen engagement with the community.  

What is the County’s Role in Housing? 

The County has certain responsibilities and tools to address the housing challenge: 

• Land use planning, zoning, and land development permitting: The County decides where homes can be built in the unincorporated area (not in incorporated cities or areas outside of the County’s land use jurisdiction) and manages permitting to ensure health and safety. 
• Affordable Housing Development: The County supports the development of affordable housing by providing local, state, and federal funding as well as County owned land across the region for affordable housing.
• Housing Authority: The County runs rental assistance programs like Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) that help households with monthly rental costs. 
• Homelessness programs: The County administers services and housing solutions to address homelessness.