LCTI: SR-15 Transportation Equity & Affordable Housing Task Force
Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP)
Planning and Capacity Building Grant
City Heights Community Development Corporation | SR-15 Transportation Equity & Affordable Housing Task Force
June 2021 – March 2024
Project Details
The SR-15 Transportation Equity & Affordable Housing (TEAH) Task Force is a continuation of the multi-generational, resident-led SR-15 Visions Campaign to advance transportation justice in City Heights, a historically underserved & disinvested community in San Diego. The TEAH Task Force will engage the community in the next chapter of equitable and sustainable development for the SR-15 corridor, with an emphasis on supporting the preservation and creation of affordable housing in this displacement vulnerable transit priority area. Local government will join the TEAH Task Force in advisory and community listening roles and industry experts will train the Task Force, providing Task Force members direct access to city planners, transit agency staff, housing developers, and other subject matter experts. Ultimately, recommendations on development without displacement and specific local projects/policies will be vetted with the public at a series of fun and accessible community events.
Project Highlights
- More than half of the membership consists of low-income residents who are provided with a stipend for every activity they participate in.
- Members have participated in nearly two years of capacity building workshops with local experts in transportation planning and housing.
Lessons Learned
- Task Force Members have developed their transportation and housing policy acumen through almost two years of capacity development workshops and were vital to identifying the data gaps in our early draft of the Development Without Displacement.
- Initially, Task Force members were hesitant to have direct conversations with local government but through the involvement of government staff in capacity building workshops, residents ultimately began participating in the creation of different City initiatives surrounding transportation and housing.
- The data obtained through this project has supported community narratives when it comes to the issue of displacement - noting that between 2015-2021 rent had increased up to 60% in some pockets of the SR-15 corridor.
Funding Details
Grant Amount & Project Total: $199,248
By the Numbers
Planned Community Engagement Activities
- 16 SR-15 TEAH Task Force meetings
- 4 Community engagement and outreach events/workshops
Estimated Quantifiable Benefits
- Direct Jobs: 1
- Induced Jobs: 1
Community Details
The Mid-City San Diego community is adjacent to the higher-income neighborhoods of Kensington and North Park. The population is a subset of the greater City Heights community with 18,907 residents. 100% of the community is in the low-income category and 65% is considered extremely low-income, spending 50 percent or more of their income on housing alone. 98% of the community are renters, and high rates of tenant-occupied housing plus low-income households point toward an increased vulnerability to displacement. 90% of the population identified as people of color and 77% of residents speak non-English languages. The largest group of residents (24%) are school-age children who typically walk or ride bikes to school. With 41% of households only owning one vehicle, 69% use that vehicle to drive alone to and from work, leaving other family members to either walk or use transit as their main source of transportation.
Demographics of Community Served by Project
53% Hispanic/Latino, 25% White, 11% Asian, 9% Black/African American, and 2% Other
Median Household Income: $42,449
Community Benefits
The SR-15 TEAH Task Force centers community members' voice and will identify community priorities, plan community engagement, and make recommendations to agencies and decision-making bodies to influence and increase sustainable transportation equity and affordable housing, and anti-displacement strategies among residents and small businesses in the SR-15 area of City Heights. The Task Force aims to build capacity within its members to lead the planning process for future developments in the SR-15 area of City Heights. The goal is to convene community partners and community residents to influence and shape their community’s development. Moreover, the work of the SR-15 TEAH Task Force through the Development Without Displacement will be used to inform the Mid-City Community Plan Update expected to take off between 2023 to 2024.
Outreach & Engagement Strategies
- Task force meetings
- Project demonstrations
- Community events/meetings
- Work groups
- Flyers and brochures
Target Populations
- Low-income
- Multi-lingual (Vietnamese-speaking and Somali communities, Spanish-speaking Refugees)
- Unhoused residents
- Communities of color
- Late night/early morning workers
- Undocumented
- Residents with limited technology access
- Community members who distrust government programs
Partnership Structure
Grantee
For 40 years, City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC) has worked to enhance the quality of life in City Heights by working with the community to create and sustain quality affordable housing, livable neighborhoods, and economic self-sufficiency. CHCDC empowers the community to participate in transportation and planning initiatives to ensure that community-shaped plans are implemented. In addition to overseeing the overall project, CHCDC will facilitate the SR-15 TEAH Task Force meetings.
Subgrantees
- City of San Diego, Planning Department and District 9
- Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
- San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
Community Partners
- City Heights Built Environment Team (BET)
- Bikes del Pueblo
- Teralta Neighborhood Association
- Love City Heights
- San Diego Housing Federation
- Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA)
- San Diego Latino Health Coalition
Contact
Rosa Oloscoaga Vidal | CHCDC
Manny Rodriguez | CHCDC
Jesse Ramirez | CHCDC