Affordable Housing Switch
by Voice of San Diego December 4, 2006 March 15, 2022
The Southeastern Economic Development Corp. is in the process of handing the oversight for its affordable housing programs over to the San Diego Housing Commission.
A memorandum of understanding is currently being drafted by lawyers for SEDC, the city of San Diego's redevelopment arm for the Southeastern area, after its board voted last month to turn over the monitoring of its affordable housing programs to the Housing Commission, according to a commission spokeswoman.
The move follows a voiceofsandiego.org special report in October that detailed how SEDC had allowed owners of affordable units to reap outsized profits on the sale of affordable units, a developer to sell homes for more than was authorized and an agency consultant to receive one of the government-sponsored "affordable" homes.
Affordable housing units typically come with a number of guidelines – including restrictions to ensure that the home remains in the hands of qualifying residents and sells at affordable rates.
"The Housing Commission would be responsible for future occupancy monitoring to ensure that the affordable housing restrictions stay in place that were agreed upon," said Erika Rooks, spokeswoman for the commission, in a voice mail. The commission handles many of the city of San Diego's public housing programs.
Rooks said SEDC will pay the commission a fee to administer the monitoring.
– ANDREW DONOHUE