Chula Vista city officials approved the Columba Apartments project consisting of 200 affordable and low income housing units. Final approval was granted on Oct.12 by the Chula Vista city council and the city’s housing authority. The units will be located in the Millenia community in the Otay Ranch area.
According to city officials, the Columba Project “will provide a mix of 56 one-bedroom units, 86 two-bedroom units, and 58 three-bedroom units that will be income and rent-restricted for households making between 30% to 60% of the San Diego County Area Median Income (AMI). The Columba Project proposes to maintain the income and rent restrictions for at least 55 years.”
Councilman Stephen Padilla, representative of the district that includes Otay Ranch area, said about the project, “Housing is a right, not a privilege — yet far too many Californians are unable to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of housing…Chula Vista continues to do more than our fair share to ensure affordable housing is within reach for families in San Diego County.”
Padilla’s office highlighted benefits of the Columba project, including being within walking and biking distance of major retail, employment, civic, recreational and public transportation centers.
“What our city is doing — especially in my district in Eastern Chula Vista — should serve as a model for our county and state. Not only are we tackling California’s affordable housing crisis head-on — we are building interactive, people-centered communities that maximize sustainability and minimize sprawl. The Columba Project is an embodiment of our city’s proactive, forward-thinking approach to housing — and we are nowhere near finished,” Councilman Stephen Padilla added.
Completion of the project is expected by December 2023 or early 2024. Housing experts anticipate to break ground next month.
