Trouble in Paradise?: New Reports Identify Progress, Barriers to Meeting Basic Needs in San Diego

Nonprofits, Local Elected Officials Offer Solutions, Urge Action

SAN DIEGO (May 8, 2025) – Can San Diegans meet their basic needs? Today, nonprofits San Diego Housing Federation (SDHF) and Children First Collective San Diego, gathered with San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee and Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera to address this question, and release new reports that show what’s working – and what’s not in serving the needs of San Diegans.

The organizations were joined by PATH San Diego, Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) and City Heights CDC, that all echoed and highlighted the need for housing, child care, homelessness and food insecurity. In these critical intersecting areas, the group encouraged action and solutions, along with new information that provided harsh evidence of the region’s needs and offered actionable recommendations:

Affordable Housing: Average Cost is Astronomical

The San Diego Housing Federation, in coordination with the California Housing Partnership, released the annual “San Diego County Housing Needs Report,” spotlighting the growing need for affordable housing investment to provide much-needed homes for low-income renters.

“Affordable housing is one of our region’s greatest needs, and the need is only growing each year,” said Stephen Russell, president and CEO of San Diego Housing Federation. “While there was a $180 million (29%) increase in state and federal funding year over year, we believe that in the next two years the state will be focused on plugging budget holes created by federal actions. This is why it’s critical the County and City’s affordable housing funding continues to rise to meet the overwhelming need, and the State Legislature must pass the Affordable Housing Bond Acts of 2026 to include affordable housing in the state’s budget along the lines of what advocates, including the Housing Federation, have requested.”

The California Housing Partnership’s report’s top findings include:

• The average monthly rent has increased by nearly $100 from last year to $2,571. That means a San Diegan would need to make about $50 per hour to afford rent – three times minimum wage.

o In comparison, San Diego’s medical assistants receive $24 per hour and retail salespeople make about $20 per hour. These are not livable wages.

• In the past five years, rent has increased an astronomical 24.5%, adding $506 per month to San Diegans’ cost of living.

• San Diego County created and preserved more than 2,000 affordable homes in 2024 through tax credit awards. Still, more than 135,000 lower income renters do not live in affordable homes (instead, paying 30% of their income or more on housing), and more than 10,000 people are experiencing homelessness.

Read the full report at www.housingsandiego.org/blog/housingneedsreport2025.

Child Care: How Much Do You Need to Make to Afford It?

The Children First Collective, an equity-driven group of nonprofits, public entities, child care providers and parents working to make child care accessible for all, debuted its summary of the County’s commissioned “San Diego Child Care Cost Estimation Model,” highlighting the scarcity, obstacles and rising costs of child care locally.

The report, created by Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies, uses local data to show what it takes to offer quality child care in San Diego. Key findings include:

• In San Diego County, 190,000 children lack access to licensed child care

• A family of four needs to earn more than $107,000 annually to afford child care

• 2/3 of San Diego families live in a child care “desert,” meaning not enough resources are available in their area

The price of quality care is not only a challenge for parents – child care provides operate under slim margins. This issue results in extremely low wages for child care workers, who provide critical work. According to the “San Diego County Housing Needs Report” released simultaneously, San Diego’s child care workers earn about $19 per hour.

“We call for increased investment in family stability through housing and access to affordable child care, and the services that keep our communities healthy,” said Children First Collective Co-facilitator and YMCA of San Diego Vice President of Policy and Advocacy Courtney Baltiyskyy. “Now is the time to make bold decisions that prioritize working families. This is our chance to build a system that supports the people who hold this region together.”

The calculations in the report explain that substantial child care investments are paramount to setting fair funding levels, raising wages for childcare workers, and ensuring quality support for families that need it.

Read the full report at sdchildrenfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CFC-CEM-Overview-3.0.pdf.

The Ties that Bind: Homelessness and Food Insecurity

Since 2013, the nonprofit PATH San Diego (People Assisting The Homeless) has ended homelessness for nearly 5,000 San Diegans by helping them move into safe, stable homes. The organization is making progress, but can’t move fast enough to match the growing need.

The homeless services system is under-resourced, as more people become homeless for the first time, creating a critical imbalance. As shown by data from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, in the first quarter of 2025, 2,985 people were housed, but 3,189 newly entered homelessness.

“We need all levels of government – city, county, state, and federal – to come together and invest in the housing and supportive services our communities urgently need,” said Hanan Scrapper, regional director of PATH San Diego. According to PATH San Diego, solutions, such as the County of San Diego’s shallow subsidy program, can and should be expanded and replicated to address the homelessness crisis.

Those struggling with housing and child care are also often impacted by food insecurity. Jewish Family Service has seen a growing demand for its nutrition programs over the past year from people of all faiths, backgrounds and ages. The number of clients accessing its pantry programs rose 20%.

“We encourage all levels of government to invest in food programs and work with community-based organizations to address the root causes of food insecurity,” said Kaley Levitt, JFS vice president of government affairs. “Food security is not just about hunger. When families are given access to housing, healthcare, job support and cash assistance, they can put food on the table and build a foundation to not just survive but thrive."

About San Diego Housing Federation

The San Diego Housing Federation is the region’s voice for affordable housing. The Federation is committed to increasing the supply of housing for San Diego’s most vulnerable families, seniors, veterans and those living with disabilities. For more information, visit housingsandiego.org.

About California Housing Partnership

The California Housing Partnership creates and preserves affordable and sustainable homes for Californians with low incomes by providing expert financial and policy solutions to nonprofit and public partners. In addition, the Partnership provides statewide publications and data tools for housing research and outcomes tracking. For more information, visit chpc.net.

About Children First Collective San Diego

The Children First Collective is a committed group of non-profits, public entities, childcare providers, and parents united in finding solutions to make raising a child in San Diego possible for everyone. Together, we are creating a local movement across San Diego County, with an urgent mission: to make quality, affordable child care available to every working family that wants and needs it, as well as to ensure that providers and child care workers are compensated, supported, and respected as the professional educators that they are. To learn more, or add your voice to the movement, visit sdchidrenfirst.org.

About PATH

For more than 40 years, PATH has worked to end homelessness for individuals, families, and communities. PATH does this by providing supportive services and building affordable and supportive housing across the state. With staff in 150 cities across California, PATH provides supportive services to over 26,000 individuals each year. Since expanding to San Diego in 2013, PATH San Diego has helped more than 5,000 people make it home. Learn more at: www.epath.org.

About Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Founded in 1918, Jewish Family Service (JFS) is one of San Diego’s most impactful nonprofit agencies – providing resources and support to over 95,000 people in the last year. Through integrated services, the organization empowers people of all ages, faiths, and backgrounds to overcome challenges, set goals, and build more stable, secure, and connected lives. JFS is committed to helping individuals and families move forward, while developing innovative strategies to break cycles of poverty and strengthen our San Diego community. To get help, volunteer or support JFS, visit jfssd.org or call 858-637-3000.

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