A project in San Diego’s El Cerrito neighborhood that promises to be a showcase for housing construction at record speed is taking shape and is expected to open in December.
Construction of the above-ground medical clinic and parking lot is still ongoing, with crews placing 21 containers per day at the site at El Cajon Boulevard and 55th Street. By the end of the year, 137 shipping containers will be converted into 40 homeless housing units, plus one for a manager, at a cost of $23.3 million. The second phase of the plan will add another 132 units at a cost of $60 million.
The housing units were created by PATH, a Los Angeles-based homeless services provider that also provides shelter, housing and outreach services in San Diego. The ground floor will house the San Diego Family Health Center’s new medical clinic, with two levels of underground parking underneath the clinic and two levels of parking above. Five floors of residential buildings are being built above the clinic and garage.
While supply chain shortages and other issues have caused delays (the project is expected to open this month), the modular housing project is still expected to take about a year less time than traditional construction.
On Monday, San Diego City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera and PATH CEO Jennifer Hark Dietz donned hard hats to tour the construction site.
Aiello-Rivera said innovative ideas should be explored but are often abandoned because they are not considered perfect.
“That’s why we are where we are now,” he said of the housing shortage. “We have waited too long for a magic bullet or a miracle cure. It doesn’t come.”
The total cost of the project is $23.3 million, the cost of each facility is $568 thousand. Anthony Bahamondes, assistant director of housing for PATH, told the San Diego Union-Tribune in a May interview that there is a misconception that modular housing is cheaper than traditional construction, since converting the shipping container itself only costs about $32,000.
But he said transportation, labor, utilities and other costs also added to the final total.
Aiello-Rivera said he hopes the cost of modular housing will come down in the future as the relatively new business model develops.
“When we finished the concrete podium, we just started fabricating the core frame,” said project manager Steve Kunkel. “Well, guess what? By the time we finished the concrete podium, I would say 60 percent of the containers in the first phase were shipped, fully packed and ready to ship.”
As he spoke, a large crane lifted a shipping container from the street to its foundation. When the container is lowered, two men guide it down using ropes, like crew members working on a tall ship. At ground level, workers installed two shipping containers to create a studio and three more to create a bedroom.
Each container is already insulated, there is drywall inside, cabinets, sinks, toilets, bathrooms and dressing rooms have already been built.
“We basically build a box and put everything in it,” said Rich Rozicki, CEO of Crate Modular. “When these units arrive on site, they are about 90 or 95 percent complete. In most cases, there is no reason for other specialists to come in and do any work.”
Rozecki noted that modular construction is becoming increasingly popular due to labor shortages, rising interest rates and the need for more housing.
“People want these things done in a more cost-effective way, but at the end of the day they just want projects to come online faster,” he said.
Hark Dietz said PATH is also planning another modular project in East Los Angeles and will consider expanding in the future. She also expects construction costs to drop as more buildings are built.
Hark Dietz said PATH decided to use modular units in response to the urgent need to house homeless people in a timely manner. The El Cerrito project began in December, and Hark Dietz said modular construction typically takes less than a year, compared with 18 to 24 months for the same project using traditional methods.
Funding for the project includes $11.8 million in state Project Homekey funding that the city and county applied for in April 2022. The city and county also contributed about $2 million each from their general funds, and the county contributed another $4.4 million from the state. The Place Like Home program and PATH received a $3 million construction loan.
While some homeowners in El Cerrito are opposed to the project, Aiello-Rivera said he believes the community will appreciate the project once people move in.
“I think when people are able to meet their new neighbors and see the families here and the people who contribute to their community, I hope and expect that the neighbors here will appreciate the fact that these things exist in their community. I’m very proud of the situation. Neighbors,” he said.
Get The Union-Tribune’s top stories, including headlines, local news, sports, business, entertainment and opinion, delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.
Charles Hughes, 38, died March 29, eight days after he was found with head injuries that appeared to be caused by a brief argument, police said.
Despite widespread needs in San Diego, the city still has more than $50 million in unspent state and federal funds, auditors said.
The proposal announced Thursday marks a departure from his controversial proposal to build a huge shelter at Camp H near Harbor Island.
The city could consider other ways to address homelessness, including creating safe sleeping spaces, building tiny homes or providing low-barrier mental health services.
Similar to San Diego’s ban, the ordinance would make camping illegal in certain areas, regardless of the availability of shelters.
Chief Operating Officer Eric Dargan is trying to replicate some, but not all, of what he saw in Houston, Texas.
Post time: Apr-12-2024