Description

This report is a compilation of policy recommendations meant to address various affordable housing approaches for SDSU Mission Valley. Affordable housing in San Diego is scarce; therefore current and hopeful affordable housing residents will have an interest in the Mission Valley expansion. Developing affordable housing in San Diego can be challenging, but the proposed expansion has the potential to increase the well-being of SDSU’s future Mission Valley residents and the community at large. The recommendations in this report come from students of the public policy process who worked to understand affordable housing, its challenges, and how the City of San Diego defines the term “affordable.” With this perspective, students developed innovative approaches to help the university address affordable housing challenges. The report has been divided into recommendations for housing and selection, and economic instruments. This report contains suggestions to assist SDSU in moving forward with the financial planning of the Mission Valley expansion. The recommendations that follow include best affordable housing models from other universities. Some suggestions require substantial funding, while others require relatively simple changes that can have lasting impact. While no one tool may ever fully address the challenges associated with financing affordable housing developments, these tools represent collaborative approaches that can be effective in a development such as SDSU Mission Valley.