A new affordable housing development will bring nearly 80 units to downtown Chula Vista — but no additional parking.
City councilmembers earlier this month approved loaning as much as $4 million to local nonprofit developer Community HousingWorks for the construction of the project at the southeast corner of Third Avenue and E Street.
The project is expected to cost about $52 million.
Almost all of the 79 units would be studio apartments, and 20 units would be reserved for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Community HousingWorks has partnered with the San Diego Regional Center to provide referrals and supportive services.
Rent is expected to cost roughly $795 to $2,000, and residents’ maximum income will range from $32,000 to $82,000 based on household size.
“It’s rare that you have this kind of pricing available,” said Councilmember Jose Preciado at a meeting about the development, which is in his district. “I could see somebody who’s a service worker in a waiting capacity, or even somebody potentially who works in the back kitchen as a dishwasher might be able to afford to live in this space.”
Yet the development calls for just four parking spaces, used exclusively for the complex’s employees.
Officials have pointed to the project’s location, saying it’s in Chula Vista’s “most pedestrian-friendly and transit-rich district” and that they expect some of the households won’t have cars. A city staff report also said Community HousingWorks is open to pursuing agreements with nearby parking lots for additional space.
Mayor John McCann cast the lone dissenting vote against the project, citing the lack of parking.
“I’ve seen this property go into a lot of different iterations, and we’ve gone from 23 units to 53 units to 79, and all the units have gone up, the parking has gone down, and that’s a major problem,” said McCann, referring to previously planned projects on the site that called for 20 parking spaces. “I clearly have seen many of the neighbors and people around that area be very concerned about the parking.”
Brian Warwick, the city’s housing manager, said that the units will be marketed to households who don’t have cars or only use them occasionally and those who work in the surrounding area.
“This is the most walkable neighborhood in Chula Vista. There’s frequent bus service, it’s not far to transfer to the E Street Station,” he said. “Parking is really not very feasible at that location because of the size of the site, and underground parking is prohibitively expensive.”
Preciado also suggested possibly giving public transportation passes to residents. “I’m not confident that that’s a possibility, but I am hopeful,” he said.
The project site, now vacant, is just one block from the recently completed Citrus Villa Apartments and Congregational Place, another affordable housing development set to be completed in January 2026. Both are for residents 65 and older.
San Diego County’s median household income is $130,000. “affordable housing” units are offered to families earning 60% or less of the area’s median income. Community HousingWorks manages more than 4,000 affordable homes in California and Texas. The group is seeking Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the state to help fund the project. Construction could start by September 2026, with leasing beginning in February 2028.
The city is using Housing Authority funds for its loan to Community HousingWorks.
This story came in part from notes taken by Josh Whitehead, a San Diego Documenter, at a Chula Vista City Council meeting last month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. Read the note.
