The County of San Diego supports building affordable housing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Today, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s resolution passed 4-0 and she issued the following statement:  

“Taking action to build housing has become a staple of this County over the last four years, and by supporting the construction of new 100% affordable homes on public land we are helping to drive this region toward becoming a place where working families can live comfortably and raise their children,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer.  “As the negotiations unfold between the City of Del Mar and the 22nd District Agricultural Association (DAA), I stand ready to help in any way possible.”  

The Del Mar Fairgrounds site is one of the most prominent publicly owned developable parcels in San Diego County and located within a mobility hub in SANDAG’s 2021 Regional Transportation Plan. The development of 100% affordable housing in high-opportunity areas will help address the housing affordability challenges facing the region. Some of the reasons the fairgrounds are ideal for affordable housing are:

• Its proximity to services within a one-mile radius such as groceries, high quality schools, parks, services, transportations, as well as job centers.
• It’s within a half-mile of stops on the North County Transit District 308 and 101 bus lines. As well as planned seasonal COASTER access that is anticipated to service the fairgrounds.
• It’s located in an area resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Leadership in the City of Del Mar was pleased to hear the Board of Supervisors passed the resolution.  

“Affordable housing is important in all communities, and the City of Del Mar is no exception.  The County Board of Supervisors’ support for Del Mar’s ongoing efforts to partner with the Fairgrounds to bring forward much needed affordable housing is greatly appreciated,” said Mayor Druker, City of Del Mar.   

Housing production for the 2023 calendar year exceeded the average needed to meet the County’s housing goals, according to an annual report on the County’s General Plan and Housing Element presented to the Board today, with 68 percent progress made toward achieving San Diego County’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goal. A total of 1,220 housing units were permitted within the unincorporated communities between January 1 and December 31, 2023. The County has permitted 4,557 homes since July 1, 2020. Read more about the progress here. 

To read the entire policy being presented by Supervisor Lawson-Remer, click here.