Rancho Penasquitos (NEWS 8) – Time is running out for residents of a low-income apartment complex in Rancho Penasquitos that is set to be demolished.
Penasquitos Village (PQ Village) will be torn down to make way for a new 600-unit development. The developers promised to help low-income residents find new places to live, but many residents said they are not happy with where they ended up.
Currently, only a handful of residents remain living in PQ Village with eviction day looming in 72 hours. The developer has called its relocation program to help residents find new homes “a huge success.” Its critics passionately disagree with that assessment.
On Thursday, residents of PQ Village and their supporters rallied outside their community – just three days before every resident still living in the one-time affordable housing community will face eviction proceedings.
Earlier this year, the San Diego City Council voted 8 to 1 to approve a new housing development, where the PQ Village sits, after the developer (Lennar and Atlantic-Pacific) offered more generous assistance in helping current residents find new housing. The developer also guaranteed to find new homes for the couple dozen remaining Section 8 housing voucher holders.
While Lennar and Atlantic-Pacific contend that their program has been “a huge success,” critics claimed that many residents have found inadequate new housing. In many cases, only temporary, far from their families, health care providers and public transportation.
Azam Amiri is 82-years-old and has been living at PQ Village for 28 years. Amiri said her new housing is too far from her doctor. “It is kind of hard because they are giving us all kinds of help, but they are more expensive than we thought.”
Resident George Almanon said he and his wife have no choice but to move into a converted living room in Mira Mesa – the only place they could afford. “It’s temporary. I even have my address on a P.O. Box.”
The developer said the new village, Pacific Village , will have units with rents starting at $1,600 and condominiums starting in the mid-$500,000s.
The Lennar and AP team sent News 8 the following statement:
"Our team worked very closely with tenants, the local church, and Rancho Penasquitos community members to develop a robust and generous relocation program, which was approved by the San Diego City Council this year. We are proud to report the program has been a huge success. we have helped nearly 300 families find new homes, including every single Section 8 tenant at PQ Village."
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