On Tuesday the Paso Robles Housing Authority celebrated the grand opening of Sunrise Villas a new affordable apartment complex. They say 69 of the units are occupied and 1,000 people are on a waitlist.
The average apartment in Paso Robles ranges between $2,100 for a 1-bedroom to $3,300 for a 3-bedroom, according to apartments.com.
Executive Director of the Paso Robles Housing Authority Loni Willey said those costs are a key reason local families struggle to afford rent.
“It is so expensive to live here on the Central Coast. And so any chance that we get to be able to add to the affordable housing stock and neighborhoods throughout the community is really important to us," Willey said.
The Housing Authority set out to build low-cost homes for hundreds of deserving families.
Construction began in July 2023 and was completed in December 2024.
Now officials say 289 people live in the 69-unit complex on Fontana Road. And there are hundreds more hoping for an opportunity to secure affordable housing just like it.
“We have 69 families who have just moved in. But we already have over 1,000 people on the waiting list. And so [it] just tells us how much more we need to do to really help all those in need in our community,” said Willey.
Rent ranges from around $600 for a 1-bedroom to $1,700 for a 3-bedroom.
“One of the national standards for families and for seniors is that they should not have to pay more than 30% of their income towards their rent," Willey said, "Otherwise, it becomes a significant burden for families and for seniors to be able to just pay their monthly bills and afford everything it costs to live."
There will be upcoming housing opportunities for more families like these in the future.
“We are really looking for those next opportunities and really also to be able to ramp up hopefully the speed in which we can get them built and available for everyone,” said Willey.
