Community delivers 100 affordable homes and strengthens access to public transit in San Diego
Download b-roll and photos here
San Diego – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and Affirmed Housing, a leading provider of affordable and supportive housing throughout California, announce the completion of SkyLINE, a seven-story, mixed-use, transit-oriented affordable housing community at the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station. The new development delivers 100 affordable apartment homes and new amenities for transit riders, transforming an underutilized park-and-ride site into a community centered on housing and mobility.
"Completing SkyLINE is a significant achievement for our region and demonstrates how housing and transit investments can work hand in hand to strengthen communities," said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilmember. "This development delivers high-quality affordable homes in a high-opportunity area and reinforces the value of building vibrant, transit-oriented communities."
Developed by Affirmed Housing on land leased from MTS, SkyLINE includes 100 apartments for individuals and families earning between 30 and 55 percent of the area median income (AMI), including one unit for an onsite property manager. The project includes one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, as well as shared amenities, such as laundry rooms, a community room with a learning center, furnished outdoor space for resident gatherings, and a tot-lot play area.
"SkyLINE reflects our commitment to addressing the region's housing needs while strengthening access to public transportation," said Jimmy Silverwood, president of Affirmed Housing. "By building affordable housing next to high-quality transit, we are creating opportunities for residents to connect more easily to jobs, schools and other essential services."
Located adjacent to the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station, SkyLINE places residents within walking distance of public transportation and near grocery stores, healthcare services, pharmacies and the Rancho Bernardo Library. The transit station is served by high-frequency bus routes traveling from downtown San Diego to North County and include Rapid and Rapid Express routes.
"SkyLINE is the remarkable transformation of a former transit parking lot into 100 new sustainable affordable housing units for working families and represents the impact that public-private partnerships can make," said Pamela Gabriel, Bank of America San Diego market executive. "Bank of America was proud to provide construction, tax credit and solar credit financing with our longtime partner Affirmed Housing to help make SkyLINE possible with city, county and state partners."
In this GreenPoint-rated community, residents will also have access to onsite programs and services focused on health and wellness, financial literacy, career readiness, parenting, food preparation and community engagement. Compass for Affordable Housing will provide resident services to the property's tenants.
SkyLINE includes approximately 14,000 square feet of commercial space, which will serve as Affirmed Housing's corporate offices and generate rental revenue for MTS. The development is part of a 99-year ground lease between Affirmed Housing and MTS, allowing the transit agency to activate underutilized land while maintaining long-term transit operations.
As part of the project, Affirmed Housing worked closely with MTS to meet current and future parking needs for transit riders. The building's parking structure includes 84 dedicated parking spaces for MTS patrons, in addition to 76 resident parking spaces.
Together, Affirmed Housing and MTS advanced a shared approach that aligns housing development with transit access, creating a community designed to serve both residents and the broader region.
The Rancho Bernardo community is part of a larger effort by MTS to redevelop top-tier park-and-ride lots and transit station locations into transit-oriented housing developments. Other properties MTS has redeveloped or in the process of redeveloping include the following.
- Completed:
- Grossmont Transit Center – 527 units
- Morena/Linda Vista – 185 units
- ShoreLINE - 126 units
- Union Grantville – 250 units
- Encanto / 62nd Street Station – 67 units
- Under Development:
- Spring Street – 147 units
- Palm Avenue – 406 units
- 12th & Imperial – 161 units
- Beyer Blvd – 100 units
- E Street Transit Center – 170-390 estimated units
A full inventory of development properties can be accessed on the MTS Real Estate webpage.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 93 bus routes and four Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. MTS is a leader in advancing initiatives to create a greener, cleaner and better-connected transit system in San Diego. Each weekday, more than 250,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system, taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2025, MTS served more than 81 million riders. For service schedule updates, news, alerts and more information on how you can use public transportation, go to www.sdmts.com.
About Affirmed Housing
Affirmed Housing is a leader in affordable, multifamily housing development, delivering safe, sustainable, high-quality communities for families, veterans, seniors and people experiencing homelessness. The company works with municipalities and private owners throughout California to promote housing stability and neighborhood well-being by leveraging deep expertise in public finance, low-income housing tax credits, and tax-exempt bond finance, as well as site selection, engineering, architecture, construction, relocation and marketing. Since 1992, Affirmed Housing has financed approximately $3.5 billion in affordable and supportive development, with more than 7,000 apartment homes developed or under development in more than 80 communities. The company has offices in San Diego, San Jose and Oakland. Visit: www.affirmedhousing.com.
