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Affordable Housing in Southwest Chula Vista: Two Decades of LIHTC Development
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
The Southwest neighborhood of Chula Vista, California, maintains a substantial inventory of affordable housing funded by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. This area contains 712 total units in LIHTC-funded projects, of which 681 are designated as low-income units. This quantity represents approximately 2.56% of the neighborhood's estimated housing inventory, based on a 2022 population of 72,486 and an estimated 27,772 housing units.
The LIHTC program has invested $3,746,266 in project tax credits for affordable housing in this neighborhood. This investment equates to an average federal funding of $5,261 per unit across all LIHTC-funded projects. The affordable housing presence in Southwest Chula Vista spans over two decades, with the initial project, Park Village Apartments, completed in 1993, and the most recent, Garden Villas (formerly Kiku Gardens), finished in 2014.
The 2000s witnessed the most significant development of affordable housing in the neighborhood. Notable projects from this period include Brisa Del Mar Village Apartments (2005), Oxford Terrace Apartments (2008), and both Palomar Apartments and Los Vecinos Apartments in 2009.
The LIHTC-funded projects in Southwest Chula Vista offer a diverse range of unit types. The inventory includes 38 one-bedroom units, 346 two-bedroom units, 90 three-bedroom units, and 24 four-bedroom units. This distribution indicates a focus on accommodating families of various sizes within the affordable housing stock.
Over the past decade, Southwest Chula Vista has experienced modest population growth, increasing from 69,804 in 2013 to 72,486 in 2022. During this period, the median income has risen from $56,686 in 2013 to $68,074 in 2022, indicating improving economic conditions for residents.
The racial composition of the neighborhood has remained relatively stable, with a predominant Hispanic population (76% in 2022). There has been a slight increase in the Asian and Black populations, while the White population has decreased marginally. This demographic stability suggests that the LIHTC projects have been supporting a consistent community profile.
The absence of new LIHTC projects since 2014 could be attributed to the rising median income, which might have reduced the perceived need for additional low-income housing. However, other affordable housing programs may be active in the area, complementing the LIHTC inventory.
Southwest Chula Vista's LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory represents a small but significant portion of the neighborhood's estimated housing stock. The program has provided substantial federal funding per unit, supporting a diverse range of housing options primarily developed in the 2000s. While demographic trends show economic improvement and racial stability, the need for affordable housing may still persist for a portion of the population. The analysis of LIHTC projects provides insights into the neighborhood's approach to affordable housing, though it represents only one aspect of the overall housing landscape in Southwest Chula Vista.
