Some builders are saying adiós San Diego and hola Tijuana.
Tijuana's cultural revival is attracting small developers at a time when it is getting more expensive and difficult to build in San Diego, according to a report by local news website Voice of San Diego.
While American builders in Mexico are facing other types of hurdles, some believe Tijuana could become the region's most affordable place to live.
Maya Srikrishnan, reporter for Voice of San Diego, said one developer she interviewed has a theory that Tijuana could be San Diego’s next affordable neighborhood.
Srikrishnan said timing has changed the perception of Tijuana.
“For a long time, there was a perception that Tijuana wasn’t very secure,” Srikrishnan told KPBS Midday Edition on Wednesday. “I think now with things like the SENTRI pass, it’s easier to go through the border. It’s going through a revitalization.”
Erik Bruvold, president of National University System Institute for Policy Research, said the lack of housing to meet the demand is driving builders to other areas.
“The issue really is our number of housing permits we’ve approved and our housing supply has not kept pace with the job growth,” Bruvold said. “San Diego’s need for housing has been pushed off to Tijuana, Baja and the Inland Empire.”
