San Diego Housing Commission estimates 3-4 weeks for fire damage repairs
Residents of Valley Vista apartments have waited two weeks for updates since a sprinkler system failure damaged 31 units on Oct. 11.
By Amelia Gupta ·
A fire on Oct. 11 at the Valley Vista affordable housing complex in Mission Valley left 31 units damaged by water from the building's sprinkler system. The San Diego Housing Commission now estimates that repairs will take between three and four weeks, though the timeline varies by unit.
The incident occurred on the fourth floor, triggering sprinklers that affected apartments below and adjacent to the fire. Housing Commission President and CEO Lisa Jones confirmed to ABC 10News that 31 units were impacted by the water damage. She stated that the commission has not set a single fixed date for completion because the extent of the remediation work differs for each apartment.
Residents displaced by the damage have been staying in temporary lodging since the fire. Marcie Pacheco, a resident of Valley Vista, has been staying at a motel near Interstate 805 in Clairemont for more than two weeks. Pacheco, who previously experienced homelessness for five years, described the current situation as a disruption to the stability the apartments provided.
"We have zero communication as what's going on with any of our belongings, anything that's going on with the fire repairs," Pacheco said. She and other residents expressed frustration over the lack of regular updates from the Housing Commission regarding their personal property and the status of the building repairs.
In response to those complaints, Jones said the commission has established a 24-hour service line for affected residents and arranged for food deliveries during the remediation period. She clarified that the commission does not dispose of residents' belongings and has communicated this assurance to those displaced.
"I understand that there is a lot of anxiety, but that doesn't necessarily mean that communication isn't happening," Jones said. She noted that while residents want to know when they can return, the answer often depends on the specific progress of repairs in individual units.
Pacheco said she hopes to return to the apartments soon and believes increased communication from the Housing Commission would ease the stress for the displaced residents.
