Silver is executive director of the Allgire Foundation and has served as executive vice president of Allgire General Contractors for the past 12 years. He lives in North County.
When people think of San Diego, they think of great weather and miles of coastline. Sadly, the area has lost much of its appeal since being named one of the best places to live in the country.
The California Housing Partnership's 2022 Affordable Housing Needs Report for San Diego County explains that renters in San Diego need to earn $43.33 per hour to pay the average monthly rent. That's all while asking rent prices in the county rose 13.7 percent from 2020 to 2021. That is if I can find a place to rent. According to statistics from global housing developer Hines, San Diego has a housing shortage of about 90,000 units as housing construction has not kept pace with population growth.
In San Diego, it's nearly impossible to find an affordable place to call home. However, large amounts of affordable housing are being built and plans to build more are encouraging. Building affordable housing is an important piece of the puzzle, but there are other pieces that must be addressed. It's about providing people with the stability and support they need to improve their living conditions.
Development and construction alone will not be enough to solve the affordable housing crisis plaguing our region. We need to go the extra mile and provide these residents with the additional supports and services they need to build better lives and thrive. For many people, finding affordable housing is just one step toward a better life.
At Allgire Foundation, we see first-hand how many families and seniors in these communities are struggling. Even when you finally find a home you can afford, you often find yourself lacking the financial flexibility to purchase basic household items such as cooking utensils, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, and furniture. We play our part in helping them get off to the right start by donating some of these items, but additional support is paramount.
Residents of affordable housing often face severe food insecurity and lack access to fresh food, especially with rising inflation. That's why we organized our annual “Spring Harvest,” which is now in its third year. In collaboration with the Allgire General Contractors team, more than 200 local volunteers from organizations such as the National Charity League Surf Cities and BE WiSE, as well as various affordable housing partners, delivered more than 16,000 packs of fresh fruit and Delivered vegetables to over 180 affordable homes. This year alone, outbreaks have occurred in communities from North County to the South Bay. This is one of our biggest events, and while the Foundation does most of the heavy lifting, we need the community's support. That's why we encourage businesses and philanthropists in San Diego County to help whenever and however they can.
Whether it's with your time or direct financial support, we need leaders around San Diego to step up to help our city's struggling families and seniors. there is. Coming together as a community and providing special support to people facing housing challenges is the best way to lay the foundations for making lasting changes in their lives.
Philanthropic aid helps, but addressing the affordable housing crisis requires marginalized communities to have the opportunity to develop financial literacy and access pathways to building financial security. One of the ways the Allgire Foundation helps provide opportunities for intergenerational economic mobility is through our scholarship program.
We offer a variety of scholarship opportunities to San Diego high school seniors and college students who have experienced housing instability to help ease the financial burden of higher education. We believe that empowering education provides a ray of hope for people living in affordable housing and a healthy path for future leaders.
There is no one-step solution to the affordable housing crisis. The problem has become too large and systemic for one initiative, one nonprofit organization, or one government policy to tackle alone. To solve this problem, public officials, developers, nonprofits like the Allgire Foundation, and private companies must work together.
Providing additional support and services to those who need them is part of the puzzle that we must work together as a community to bring about change.
The Allgire Foundation's scholarship program is accepting applications until May 31 at allgirefoundation.org.
