In The News
December 2024
San Diego Man On Verge of Homelessness Gets Help from Nonprofit Before the Holidays
The City Heights CDC is an organization providing solutions before a family is evicted. The nonprofit offers money to qualified low-income families and individuals to pay past due rent or help them find new affordable housing.
Robert Griffin, who was on the verge of eviction this fall when he could no longer afford to pay the $1,600 rent for his North Park apartment, shares how the Coordinated Eviction Prevention Systems (CEPS) team helped him avoid eviction and find a new home.
October 2024
'CHOPPED' Program Helps Food Entrepreneurs Take Next Step
From plan to plate was the City Heights Community Development Corporation's goal it had in mind when it launched Chopped, an eight-week program aimed at helping local aspiring food entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.
September 2024
New City Heights Program Helps Home Cooks, Food Truck Owners Grow Business
The 'CHOPPED' program is helping home cooks and food truck owners learn skills to grow and successfully operate in San Diego. There's a wide range of participants, from bakers, to businesses selling breakfast food, wings, desserts and so much more
Fighting the Extreme Heat in City Heights
The air in City Heights was scorching Friday afternoon, and the sidewalks were nearly hot enough to fry an egg. That's why some groups say the urban heat island effect is a huge problem in places like City Heights.
June 2024
City Heights CDC Gets $1 Million Grant from New York’s Citi Foundation
As part of its Community Progress Makers Initiative — supporting organizations advancing affordable housing and access, economic development, financial health, and workforce readiness — the Citi Foundation has selected the City Heights Community Development Corporation to receive $1 million in unrestricted funding over three years.
CBS Interviews Maria Cortez About the "Unity in Community" Mural in Teralta Park
After seven years, four different artists, and a global pandemic, the City Heights neighborhood finally gets to enjoy the "Unity in Community" mural in Teralta Park.
Maria Cortez, a member of the City Heights Community Development Corporation, says she has been a part of this project since the beginning and even through some of the struggles she said she never doubted the community's ability to make it happen.
Support the Community and Have a Blast at City Heights Street Food Fest
Launched in early 2019, the family-friendly Street Food Festival is a culturally-vibrant, community-centered fundraising event that benefits the City Heights community and will be used to provide job assistance, food, housing, safer streets, and other support.
The City Heights Community Development Corporation’s Fourth Annual Fundraiser, City Heights Street Food Festival
Food vendors will sell dishes from around the world, including East Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Entertainment includes live music and cultural performances, a beer garden, live art, face painting and a 15-foot jumpy slide for kids.
13 Things To Do in San Diego This Weekend: June 13–16
The fourth iteration of the culinary block party includes art, live music, and worldwide cuisine from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go towards housing and job assistance and additional services for those in the City Heights neighborhood.
4th annual City Heights Street Food Festival
The 4th Annual City Heights Street Food Fest will be a day of live art, music, drinks, community and street food, taking place on University Avenue Saturday, June 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City Heights Street Food Festival
Enjoy a full day of live art, music, family-friendly activities, drinks, community and street food at City Heights Community Development Corporation’s fourth annual fundraiser, taking place on University Avenue @ 37th and 38th Street.
San Diego Weekend Guide: June 14-16 – Retro Rhythm
The fourth annual City Heights Street Food Festival opens along University Avenue at 37th and 38th streets at 11 a.m. Saturday. Try eats from dozens of food vendors and take youngsters to the kids zone. General admission is $15 with discounts for community residents.
Legit Low-Key Kickbacks 🍢 City Heights Street Food Fest
Enjoy food from street vendors, along with cultural demonstrations and live music.
San Diego Weekend Arts Events: Street Food Fest
Food, Music, Family, Festivals | The fourth annual City Heights Street Food Fest returns to University Ave. between 37th and 38th streets in City Heights, with food, performances, live music, art and family-friendly activities.
Things To Do This Weekend: City Heights Street Food Festival, TLC, Pepe Aguilar
June 15th at11 a.m. on University Avenue| $15 General Admission- $10 City Heights residents| The fourth annual City Heights Street Food Fest will be a day of live art, music, drinks, community, and street food as diverse as City Heights.
Lucinda's Goodness - A Foodie Frenzy In City Heights
Good things are happening in San Diego! KOGO's Lucinda Kay puts the spotlight on things big and small that are having a positive impact on San Diego. Sponsored by Palomar Health, Reimagining Healthcare.
Univision - Festival De Comida Callejera Junio 15
Entrevista con Michelle Ascencio, Gerente del Programa de City Heights CDC Desarrollo Económico, y Gloria, dueña de Mama G’s Special Sauce, LLC (38:01-42:40).
I Know Firsthand The Negative, Enduring Impact Of Housing Insecurity. Protect Families
Alexis Villanueva, president and CEO of City Heights Community Development Corp. and a longtime resident of City Heights.
“I have witnessed firsthand the negative and enduring impact of housing insecurity. Some of my large family was displaced from City Heights in 1987 — among the roughly 2,000 residents evicted to make way for the 2.2-mile extension of the I-15 freeway, a move that destroyed community cohesion and accelerated disinvestment. This significant burden on our family, impacting many areas of our lives — including child care, finances, and education — for years to come.”
April 2024
Big Price Tag: Construction Starts On $98M Affordable Housing Complex In City Heights
The 117 rent-restricted apartments, and commercial space, are expected to be completed by fall 2025. The project, which received considerable public financing, is a partnership between the affordable housing builder Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. and the City Heights Community Development Corp.
Groundbreaking Celebrates New Development to Provide 115 Affordable Rental Apartments across Four Sites in City Heights
“I recognize that the first of every month, too many San Diegans worry about whether or not they can make that rent payment. They wonder where they’ll be next week if they can’t make that payment. That weighs heavy on my heart,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “That’s why we’re doing absolutely everything we can to work on this particular urgent crisis. I think today is proof that this work is having results.
San Diego Breaks Ground On "Cuatro At City Heights," A $98M Affordable Housing Development
San Diego's City Heights neighborhood is set for a considerable transformation with today's groundbreaking of "Cuatro at City Heights," a $98 million affordable housing project to tackle the city's pressing housing crisis.
Pricey Affordable Housing Coming to City Heights
Why it matters: As San Diego faces a housing shortage, Cuatro will offer new rental housing options for low-income families and unhoused veterans in the same place where construction of the SR-15 freeway divided the neighborhood and displaced people.
City Leaders Break Ground for 115-Unit, $98 Million Affordable Housing Project in City Heights
The City Heights Community Development Corporation and city leaders broke ground Wednesday on a $98 million housing development intended to provide 115 units of affordable housing and 13,000 square feet of commercial space.
Work On 115-Unit Affordable Housing Complex, Cuatro, Gets Started In City Heights
"This transformative project for the neighborhood offers amenities such as laundry facilities, outdoor spaces, bicycle parking and more," said Alexis Villanueva, president and CEO of City Heights CDC. "City Heights CDC will also provide on-site resident services. Proximity to its major transit centers and walkable resources mean that residents have both an affordable and accessible place to call home.
March 2024
City Heights Receives $3.3 million to Develop Bike, Pedestrian Infrastructure
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has awarded the City Heights Community Development Corporation (CDC) $3.3 million to develop enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the neighborhood. The work is intended to connect the under-construction Cuatro affordable housing complex to the nearby City Heights Transit Plaza and The Boulevard Transit Plaza. The grant funding will also support community outreach.
City Heights Gets $3.3 Million CARB Grant to Develop Bike, Pedestrian Infrastructure
CARB awarded a total of $33 million in grants to support projects that increase access to zero-emission transportation and diversify mobility options for schools and communities that service low-income areas.
City Heights Gets $3.3 Million CARB Grant to Develop Bike, Pedestrian Infrastructure
The California Air Resources Board has awarded the City Heights Community Development Corporation $3.3 million to develop enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the neighborhood.
$3.3M Awarded to City Heights for Bike, Pedestrian Infrastructure
"We have never been the priority for these investments and when this state funding is coming to the community it means so much cause that means that our communities are finally being heard," said Rosa Olascoaga, who works for the City Heights Community Development Corporation (CDC).
City Heights Community Development Corporation Awarded $3.3 million
The California Air Resources Board has awarded the City Heights Community Development Corporation $3.3 million to develop enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The work will connect the upcoming Cuatro affordable housing complex to the nearby City Heights Transit Plaza and The Boulevard Transit Plaza. The funding also will support community outreach and engagement.
