San Diego’s Housing price crisis

San Diego has long been known for its beautiful beaches, great food, and exceptional weather. However, over the past decade, the pricing for homes has been skyrocketing. Since 2015, the real estate market in San Diego has experienced a significant transformation, making homeownership increasingly challenging for many residents. This can easily impact those transitioning from homelessness to a stable housing environment, and could leave other without a house.

In 2015, the median home price in San Diego hovered around $500,000. Fast forward to 2025, and that number has surged to nearly $1,000,000 per recent reports. Several factors have contributed to this dramatic increase in house prices.

The rapid increase in housing prices has created significant challenges for potential homebuyers. Many individuals and families are finding it increasingly difficult to secure affordable housing. First-time homebuyers, in particular, are facing additional hurdles as they attempt to buy insanely priced homes.

Heres a recent look on San Diego’s housing prices since 2020

Potential Effects

As we look to the future, it's unclear how the San Diego housing market will evolve. From what I can tell, experts suggest that “a potential stabilization may occur if interest rates rise significantly or if more inventory becomes available through new construction”. As a non-expert, I take their word for it, and even as the markets cool today, I see it to be impossible for housing prices to drop below pre-covid levels.

For homelessness, as more families and individuals struggle to find housing, more are left looking for alternatives. These could include apartments, SRO’s, shelters, or sadly even living on the streets. San Diego’s housing market is certainly a hostile one, and in order to help the large homeless population in our county, we must first tackle our housing issue.