For 30 years, the Coronado apartments at 308 Orange Ave. have been rented as affordable housing, with tenants paying adjusted rent according to their income.
But, in February 2026, that will change.
The 29-unit Del Island complex was recently sold and the new owner, R.A. Snyder Properties, will not be participating in Coronado’s affordable housing program, according to a notice sent to residents at the complex.
We are a long-term investor that is looking to maintain the asset in accordance with all laws and with the continual coordination of city of Coronado staff.
R.A. Snyder Properties
“We are a long-term investor that is looking to maintain the asset in accordance with all laws and with the continual coordination of city of Coronado staff,” R.A. Snyder Properties said in response to inquiries from The Coronado News.
They did not respond to additional inquiries from The Coronado News.
Coronado resident Jim Morse said he now has to face moving out of an apartment that has been his home for two decades. He pays just under $1,000 a month for his one-bedroom unit.
At a month shy of 80 years old, Morse said he might have to move in with extended family in Wyoming – a state he’s never been to – if he can’t figure out another alternative in San Diego.
His neighbor, Mike Cannon, who’s lived in his unit for about two years, is not ready to leave either. He’s 74 and most of his life has been spent on the island, where his children and grandkids still reside. He pays $1,400 for his one-bedroom apartment.
Morse and Cannon both rely on social security checks while Cannon works at the local grocery store, Boney’s, part-time.
Coronado’s housing element
Kelli Maples, the city’s senior management analyst, said the city reached out to the new owners about re-signing a low-income housing contract, but said that they chose not to renew.
This change in affordable housing units does not impact the city’s housing element because that plan focuses on preparing for new developments, said Maples.
Maples explained that when the state sets the affordable housing numbers, they aren’t based solely on the units a city already has. The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process takes into account a variety of factors when assigning a certain number of new units.
For the latest housing element update cycle, the RHNA number was established using the number of jobs on the island and transit access in the jurisdiction.
The city has a long history with the housing element. The San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG, a regional planning organization for the county, and the state determine how many affordable housing units Coronado is required to have.
Since 1969, California has required city and county governments to meet affordable housing needs within their jurisdictions. Key to that process is approval of a general plan segment, otherwise known as the housing element, that fulfills the obligation. The general plan is a blueprint for the city’s future growth.
Every eight years, a new housing cycle starts and the state tells cities how many homes they must plan for to accommodate people of varying income levels, according to Coronado’s Planning Division. A new cycle started in 2021 and will run until 2029.
Coronado’s affordable housing requirement before the new housing cycle started in 2021 was only 52 units.
The jump to 912 units in the new cycle was around 1,800% more than the city had ever contemplated.
There was worry of a lack of space, increased traffic and safety concerns with potentially filling 912 units.
However, the city is not required under the state mandate to build the additional housing units. Rather, the city must ensure sufficient land is available to accommodate the required units so that developers can come in to build on the designated areas, city officials have said.
So, although Coronado is responsible for finding the space for more units due to the housing element, the city cannot force property owners to sign affordable housing agreements, and has no control over the amount of housing units currently available on the island.
Rent increase in Feb. 2026
But 29 units worth of Coronado residents will now have to find new accommodations or pay the increased market rate rent starting in February.
The average price for currently available one-bedroom apartments on the island seems to be around $3,000, with a range spanning anywhere from $2,500 to the most expensive being $7,000, according to Zillow.
In a letter dated Aug. 4, the new owners offered moving bonuses and stipends for residents willing to leave within a certain number of days.
“In recognition of the impact this change may have, we would like to offer voluntary relocation assistance for residents who wish to move prior to the expiration of the affordability agreement,” the letter from R.A. Snyder Properties, Inc. read. “This includes a return of your full security deposit, one month’s rent, and an additional moving bonus based on your preferred timeline:
“Vacate within 60 days from the date of this notice: Receive $3,000.00 bonus
“Vacate within 90 days from the date of this notice: Receive $2,000.00 bonus
“Vacate within 120 days from the date of this notice: Receive $1,000.00 bonus.”
According to Cannon, the new management has not revealed what the new rents will be for people interested in staying past February.
They’re not transparent at all.Coronado resident Mike Cannon
“They’re not transparent at all,” Cannon said. He is not planning to take the moving bonuses, but he also can’t make a decision without knowing what the new rent will be, he explained.
Cannon’s apartment is slightly different from some of the other units in that he did some light renovations in the last couple of years. He replaced the flooring, repainted the walls and completed a few other smaller adjustments.
Part of the new management’s plan is to renovate the apartments and re-list them at market rate, according to the letter. And with Cannon’s work, he is hoping they won’t need to renovate his unit. But, he said they are not responding to him.
