One of the primary goals of the Capacity Building program is to support our partners in attracting and leveraging outside dollars to San Diego, which is what we consider “growing the pie.”

To this end, we provide grants towards critical capacity needs, including technical assistance, grant writer support, consultations and backbone support, with the high possibility of bringing in additional resources to the region. Our Capacity Building program has proven to be an important and nimble way for us to engage with our community partners on strategic priorities.

The chart below illustrates how we have been successful at leveraging both our capacity building and other investments to have an outsized impact on issues we care about and the populations we serve.

CASA FAMILIAR: THE AVANZADO SAN YSIDRO – COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

Community engagement is essential for ensuring development projects align with residents’ needs and priorities. In San Ysidro, where multiple large projects are underway, ongoing engagement is crucial for success. This process requires time and resources to build relationships, train leaders, collect input, and implement feedback.

AHF funding supports major projects, including the Avanzado San Ysidro – Community Land Trust (ASY-CLT), a 103-unit mixed-use development featuring affordable housing, commercial spaces, and climate-resilient design. The CLT model ensures permanent affordability, prevents displacement, and fosters wealth-building. Casa Familiar has secured nearly half of the $90 million budget, with groundbreaking expected in 2025. Once completed, a majority resident-led board will govern ASY-CLT.

Additionally, Casa Familiar has acquired 40,000 square feet along San Ysidro Blvd for a future mixed-use project incorporating commercial space, housing, and community services. Resident input is crucial in shaping this space, determining the types of housing, businesses, and services needed.

AHF funding helps support effective community engagement efforts to ensure these projects reflect the community’s vision, creating lasting benefits for residents while addressing affordability and economic stability.

MUNDO GARDENS: GREEN CORRIDOR PROJECT

Mundo Gardens leads the National City Southeast Greenspace Corridor Project, also known as the “Green Corridor,” with funding support from AHF for planning and pre-development. The initiative addresses key health and economic challenges in South and Central San Diego, including poor air quality, lack of housing, limited access to healthy food, exercise, and transportation, as well as economic instability. These factors contribute to chronic diseases like pulmonary conditions, diabetes, and cancer, leading to premature deaths for nearly 60% of the local population.

The project aims to establish a regional community advisory group focused on housing, wellness, culture, workforce development, and active mobility. AHF’s support supplements initial funding from the Community Connectors Program, led by Smart Growth America, which promotes community-driven transportation infrastructure projects to mitigate the impact of historically divisive urban planning. The Green Corridor will work toward improving community health, economic stability, and environmental conditions by fostering inclusive development and mobility initiatives.

When communities come together, positive transformation is possible. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 11 front-line refugee organizations in City Heights got together and formed the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition. Over the last few years, the Coalition has served thousands of vulnerable, low-income refugees with the shared understanding that refugees need to be empowered to address the problems, solutions and outcomes for health and other disparities in their communities. After initial seed backbone funding from AHF and a few other funders, they were able to build enough capacity to attract and deploy millions of dollars in funding to support their coordinated efforts. The Coalition, which is trusted by and embedded in some of the hardest-to-reach communities, has gone on to secure its first-ever County contract for Community Health Workers.