San Diego Transit Agency and Affirmed Housing Complete SkyLINE Affordable Transit Oriented Community at Rancho Bernardo

San Diego’s transit agency and an affordable housing developer have completed a transit-oriented, mixed-use community at the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station that converts an underutilized park-and-ride into homes and new amenities for riders.

SkyLINE is a seven-story development on land leased from the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System that delivers 100 affordable apartment homes alongside 14,000 square feet of commercial space. Developed by Affirmed Housing, the project includes one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and one unit for an onsite property manager. Units are set aside for households earning between 30 and 55 percent of area median income. Shared on-site amenities include laundry rooms, a community room with a learning center, furnished outdoor gathering space and a tot-lot play area. The community is GreenPoint-rated.

"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.

"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.

"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.

Located adjacent to the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station, SkyLINE places residents within walking distance of frequent bus service including Rapid and Rapid Express routes, and near grocery, healthcare, pharmacy and library services. Compass for Affordable Housing will provide resident services focused on health and wellness, financial literacy, career readiness, parenting, food preparation and community engagement.

The project design preserved transit functionality through a parking structure that provides 84 dedicated spaces for MTS patrons in addition to 76 resident spaces. The 99-year ground lease with MTS allows the agency to activate underutilized land while maintaining long-term transit operations. SkyLINE illustrates a coordinated approach to aligning housing production, transit access and financing tools to expand affordable housing options in transit-rich locations.