City Heights CDC

What City Heights CDC does

City Heights Community Development Corporation (City Heights CDC) is a 40-year-old nonprofit community development corporation headquartered at 4001 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, founded in 1984 and serving the City Heights neighborhood. The organization delivers an integrated portfolio across four functional areas: affordable housing preservation and development, economic development and small-business support, transportation and community-planning advocacy, and direct resident services spanning eviction prevention, food security, youth scholarships, and community events. It does not develop or sell software products; its "platform" is a service-delivery infrastructure of physical assets and program staff.

The core asset base is an affordable housing portfolio of 14 multifamily and senior properties containing 406+ income-restricted units, developed in partnership with Wakeland Housing & Development (City Heights-10), Affirmed Housing (Hollywood Palms, 94 units), San Diego Interfaith Housing Foundation (Metro Villas, 120 units), and others, plus the Cuatro at City Heights development across four parcels and the award-winning Talmadge Gateway (60 studios for formerly homeless seniors). Supporting physical assets include Tierra Central, a reclaimed lot at 4090 University Ave serving as community/event space and food-truck hub. Programmatic offerings include the One Month Away eviction-prevention program (over 300 evictions prevented, 93% of assisted households still housed 6-28 months later), Feeding City Heights food vouchers, Champion Scholars scholarships, the Mid-City Go! free all-electric on-demand shuttle (operated via the Via San Diego app), the CHOPPED eight-week food-entrepreneur training, and the San Diego Food Justice Project. Technology reliance is operational rather than productized: Via Transportation powers the shuttle, Squarespace powers the website, Constant Contact handles email, Stripe processes donations, and BambooHR runs hiring.

Revenue is generated across four streams: donations and individual/corporate fundraising, grants (City of San Diego CDBG, California Climate Investments, California Energy Commission, SANDAG, and foundation support), rental income from below-market affordable housing units, and event-driven revenue, primarily from the annual Street Food Fest. Operations are 100% regional, concentrated in City Heights and adjacent North Park, delivered through ~30+ staff with no equity ownership, no parent company, and a Board-governed structure. Leadership transitioned to President/CEO Alexis Villanueva in June 2023 (after she served as Interim Executive Director since December 2022), and she was named a 2024 San Diego Business Journal CEO of the Year finalist.

Name

City Heights CDC

Legal name

City Heights Community Development Corporation

Website

https://cityheightscdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

City Heights CDC is a San Diego nonprofit community development corporation serving the City Heights neighborhood. It operates 14 affordable housing properties with 406+ units, provides business coaching to local entrepreneurs, and runs programs in eviction prevention, transportation, and food security.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (92511), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Housing Programs (925110)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Community development
• Affordable housing
• Economic development
• Workforce development
• Community services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual and corporate donations supporting community programs including housing, food security, and economic development initiatives. Year-end fundraising campaigns and direct donation appeals.
2. Grants: Funding from government sources (City of San Diego CDBG), foundations, and climate/infrastructure programs for specific initiatives like Mid-City Go shuttle and development projects.
3. Rental Income: Revenue from affordable housing properties including City Heights-10, Hollywood Palms, Metro Villas, and Talmadge Gateway. Properties serve very low to low-income families and formerly homeless seniors.
4. Event Revenue: Street Food Fest event generates revenue through vendor fees, ticket sales (Taste tickets), and sponsorships. Proceeds support community services including job assistance, food security, and housing programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

City Heights CDC is a nonprofit community development corporation serving the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego. It delivers affordable housing programs, economic and workforce development services, transportation planning, business district management, and a range of community support programs including food assistance, youth scholarships, and entrepreneur training.

Product overview

City Heights CDC is a community development corporation offering a portfolio of integrated community services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include: Economic Development Services (business coaching and promotion), Affordable Housing Program (13-14 properties, 406+ units), Transportation & Planning (advocacy and community-driven planning), and Business/Maintenance Assessment Districts. Supporting programs include: Champion Scholars Scholarship, One Month Away eviction prevention, Mid-City GO! free shuttle service, Feeding City Heights food vouchers, San Diego Food Justice Project, CHOPPED entrepreneur training, and Tierra Central community space. Events include Street Food Fest and CicloSDias. The organization does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 evictions prevented and households kept safely housed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Wakeland Housing & Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer partner for City Heights-10 properties (10 multifamily apartment buildings at 3820 43rd Street). Wakeland Housing is a nonprofit developer specializing in affordable housing development.
• Affirmed HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer partner for Hollywood Palms apartments (94 units at 4372 Home Avenue). Affirmed Housing focuses on developing affordable housing communities.
• San Diego Interfaith Housing FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer partner for Metro Villas (120 affordable housing units at 4071 39th Street). SDFIHF develops affordable housing for families and individuals in need.
• North Park Main StreetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mid-City Go! community shuttle launch connecting City Heights and North Park areas. Collaborative effort for eco-friendly transportation options.
• Via TransportationcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for Mid-City Go! shuttle service using Via San Diego app for on-demand ride scheduling, real-time driver location, and estimated arrival times.
• Khmer American Mutual Association of San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for opening of Wat Champourukha Vanaram meditation center, supporting accessible mindfulness practices for the Cambodian-American community in City Heights.
• Legal Aid Society of San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on advocacy efforts including presenting in favor of City of San Diego No Fault Eviction Moratorium.
• St. Paul's Senior ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for CEPS (Coordinated Evictions Prevention System) Program tenant and landlord education workshop.
• SANDAGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning agency partnered on transportation projects including Landis Street Bikeway ($8.8M project) and Rapid transit planning.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit pursuing affordable housing development, community resilience, and economic opportunity across the U.S.; comparable programmatic mix but at significantly greater scale and with a national policy/advocacy footprint.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial intermediary that funds and supports CDCs (including many affordable housing developers) with capital, grants, and technical assistance; a major upstream funder whose footprint shapes the same ecosystem City Heights CDC operates in.
• BRIDGE Housing Corporation: Large California-wide nonprofit developer/operator of affordable housing with resident services and community development programs; operates at greater scale than City Heights CDC but pursues the same affordable-housing-plus-services model in many California metros.

Others

• Wakeland Housing & Development Corporation: San Diego nonprofit affordable housing developer that co-developed City Heights-10 with City Heights CDC; a core operational partner rather than direct competitor, but comparable in mission and resident-support programming.
• Affirmed Housing: San Diego-headquartered affordable housing developer that co-developed Hollywood Palms with City Heights CDC — comparable resident population and development pipeline, currently structured as a partner rather than competitor.

Direct peers

• Logan Heights Community Development Corporation: Logan Heights CDC is a fellow San Diego nonprofit CDC operating affordable housing, economic development, and community programs in a similarly diverse, immigrant-rich neighborhood. Natasha Salgado (VP of Programs & Strategic Initiatives at City Heights CDC) previously led economic development there, indicating overlapping operational models.
• Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation: Jacobs Center is a San Diego nonprofit focused on equitable neighborhood revitalization, small business support, and community programming on Imperial Avenue — closely paralleling City Heights CDC's economic development, BID-like services, and resident-led programming models.
• Community HousingWorks: San Diego-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and service provider, operating multifamily rental properties and resident services programs for low-income households across the region — directly comparable in affordable housing preservation and resident services focus.
• MAAC (Multi-Agency Alliance for Affordable Communities): San Diego County-based nonprofit providing affordable housing, social services, and community development programming throughout the South Bay and central San Diego — comparable integrated housing-plus-services model serving similar low-income populations.

Regional players

• San Diego Housing Commission: Public housing authority for the City of San Diego that administers federal housing vouchers, public housing, and affordable housing programs; not a direct peer but a relevant regional institutional counterparty influencing funding and policy for City Heights CDC's housing portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cityheightscdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/157049044375706_967558983324704
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-heights-community-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City Heights CDC