The published unit counts for 16th & Island differ, and the sources do not explain why. BuildSD’s project page, dated February 20, 2026, describes a 102-unit development: 101 affordable homes and a manager’s residence, then listed as under review. In a later account, the San Diego Reader reported that Father Joe’s Villages had broken ground on the $47 million project and described it as containing 124 affordable apartments.
The Reader said the 124 apartments are intended for households earning 30% to 60% of the area median income. Its reported mix is 68 studios, 55 one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit. BuildSD’s earlier description said the project would consist primarily of studios and one-bedroom apartments. The Reader reported that construction was scheduled to start November 2, with completion projected for March 2028.
The eight-story plans call for a hybrid building incorporating mass timber. BuildSD describes the structure as hybrid, while the Reader reported that engineered wood panels would be used for structural work. Father Joe’s Villages projected that the cost per apartment could fall from $530,000 to $380,000—about 28%—citing the timber system alongside alternative material sourcing and more efficient contracting. The Reader reported that the organization had not specified how much of the projected reduction would come from timber alone.
The project is intended to provide permanent supportive housing. BuildSD says it is designed for people transitioning out of homelessness and will include on-site resources. Reporting on the groundbreaking, ABC 10News said Father Joe’s Villages president and CEO Deacon Jim Vargas described the homes as serving people experiencing homelessness as well as people at risk of losing housing.
County homelessness count offers broader context
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness reported that its 2025 Point-in-Time Count found no less than 9,905 people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County, down from 10,605 the previous year. The task force cautions that the count is a one-day snapshot representing a minimum regional count; it does not measure demand for this particular project.
The BuildSD page places the development on a 10,324-square-foot site on the south side of Island Avenue between 16th and 17th streets. It also identifies the project as part of Father Joe’s Villages’ Turning the Key Initiative, which aims to deliver 2,000 affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness in San Diego.
Related housing context
The San Diego Reader reported that Niima Outpost, a five-story apartment building at 2519 El Cajon Boulevard, was completed in 2025 with cross-laminated-timber floors and conventional wood-framed walls. It is an earlier local example of timber construction, distinct from 16th & Island. The San Diego Housing Commission’s FY 2025 Affordable Housing Fund report says the fund committed $18,083,754 to affordable-housing activities intended to assist 4,311 households that year. That funding figure provides broader context but does not measure demand for 16th & Island.
