Mayor Todd Gloria broke ground Tuesday on 38 new affordable apartments at 3946 Louisiana Street in North Park, a project that will bring studio units to one of San Diego's priciest central neighborhoods. The apartments will provide affordable housing in an area where workers have increasingly been squeezed out by soaring costs.
Gloria announced the groundbreaking in a social media post, thanking the project's partners: the San Diego Foundation, Bear Creek Fund Advisors, and Naturally Affordable Housing, according to Mayor Todd Gloria
The project will add 38 apartments in North Park.
San Diego Housing Fund
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A North Park Apartment Project
The Louisiana Street building is a 38-unit apartment project in North Park.
The project also involves the San Diego Foundation and Bear Creek Fund Advisors.
The Apartments
The Louisiana Street project is an affordable housing development.
The project includes studio apartments.
Fast-Track Rules Clear the Way
Projects like Louisiana Street are also benefiting from regulatory shortcuts the city has built specifically for affordable infill. San Diego's Complete Communities Housing Solutions regulations allow increased density and height near transit corridors, and the program waives discretionary public hearings for qualifying transit-adjacent projects, according to local real estate coverage.
That zoning flexibility pairs with an executive order Mayor Gloria issued in January 2023, which directed city departments to fast-track all 100% affordable housing proposals. The resulting “Affordable Housing Permit Now” program has permitted 6,746 affordable units since 2023, cutting average municipal review times to roughly nine days for qualifying developments.
The city has also been backstopping projects financially through parallel programs. San Diego recently opened Round 8 of Mayor Gloria's Bridge to Home initiative, offering $15 million in gap financing to push stalled affordable housing projects into construction.
North Park's Long History With Affordable Housing
North Park isn't new to this kind of specialized affordable development. The San Diego Housing Commission completed North Park Seniors on Texas Street in April 2018, a $27 million project delivering 75 affordable rental apartments as the city's first senior housing development with targeted programs for LGBT residents, built for seniors earning between 50% and 60% of Area Median Income. The neighborhood's role as a testing ground for affordable housing models now continues with the Louisiana Street groundbreaking, as a new financing structure and zoning toolkit get their first real-world run.
