Finding decent housing at an affordable price has become one of the biggest challenges facing Southern California residents, including those living in San Diego County.

Today, more people than ever cannot afford their rent and, in many cases, have no choice but to share a small apartment with as many as two other families in order to make ends meet.

In National City, a project moved forward by community members, environmental organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies, is turning spaces that were formerly polluted by industrial uses into homes for more than 200 families.

“This area used to be a dump, it was a public space and a bus parking lot. All of this was right next to a creek that was part of a highly polluted industrial area. Now, we have a creek that people can truly enjoy and be around,” said National City Mayor Ron Morrison.

Phase I was recently completed, and by the time Phase II – which is already underway – is completed, a total of 201 families will have a new place to call home, a park they can enjoy, and a series of services which will collectively help families have a better life. All of this in units where they will pay an average of $600 a month in rent.

“We didn’t just design these units for them to live in generation after generation, but rather as an incubator. They will have access to job training, language education, and all the things they need so they can have a better job,” added the Mayor. “They will then be able to move to a better place to live, and so on. So, although we have 201 units now, over time we hope to help thousands of families, not just 201.”

However, the housing problem is big, and authorities say they are overwhelmed with applications for low-cost housing.

“We have a huge housing need. We have people coming in every day for the Section 8 program, where we have a wait list for two to three years for some projects. For this one alone, we received applications from 3 to 4,000 residents, which shows how big the demand is for affordable housing,” said Carlo Aguirre, National City’s Community Development Manager.

Residents are no longer just looking for a better place to live, but also for those that make it easier to access effective public transit, and particularly for places in healthy environments where children and adults are not constantly exposed to pollution.

“We have been working on this housing complex project because National City residents need to be able to live in a better place,” shared Maria Concepcion Villanueva, a volunteer and community organizer at the Environmental Health Coalition.

Those involved in this housing development hope that projects such as this will become a model for the county and a possibility for the thousands of San Diego families looking for a better place to live.