David Estrella

Bio

David Estrella joined the County of San Diego in 2002. He is currently the Director of Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS) in the Health and Human Services Agency. David oversees funding for the development of permanent affordable housing, community improvement projects and the Housing Choice Voucher program, which provides rental subsidies for approximately 11,000 families. Under his direction, HCDS has invested $314M and made eleven (11) County excess sites available for development, which will result in the creation of 5,670 affordable housing units in 68 developments across the region. These investments leveraged approximately $2.5B in federal, state, local and private sources. The newly developed units will be home to over 59,000 low-income residents over the course of the properties’ lifetimes. 

Most recently, David has brought the County’s Office of Homeless Solutions under his leadership as part of HCDS.  The Office of Homeless of Solutions connects individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to essential services and also administers contracted homelessness programs.  OHS coordinates and supports homelessness efforts within the community alongside local jurisdictions, community partners, private and public agencies, local non-profits, and other County departments. 

David was the first Director of the Office of Integrative Services in the County’s Health and Human Services Agency. Integrative Services was created to functionally thread housing solutions throughout the various Health and Human Services Agency service departments. A key accomplishment during his tenure was the implementation of Project One for All (POFA). This regional program combined street outreach, ongoing services, and housing subsidies for hundreds of San Diegans experiencing homelessness with serious mental illness.

Prior to joining HHSA, David was the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for the County of San Diego’s Community Services Group. In this Role, David led a team of 1,000 employees, managed a budget of $334M, and was one of the five general managers reporting directly to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer. Additionally, David ensured fiscal responsibility and provided management direction for six high-visibility County departments: Registrar of Voters, Animal Services, County Library, Housing and Community Development, General Services, and Purchasing and Contracting. His departments’ notable accomplishments during his time as DCAO include construction of the downtown Waterfront Park (which transformed vast parking lots into the most significant green space on the downtown bayfront, providing family recreation and hosting special events and music festivals); construction of new libraries in various communities; sheltering of 25,000 animals annually; conducting presidential/state/local elections; operating 33 region-wide libraries; and managing a multi-billion dollar contract portfolio for all County services/acquisitions.

During his tenure with the County, David has served as the County of San Diego’s Executive Sponsor for Diversity and Inclusion and the Chair of the County’s Diversity and Inclusion Executive Council. David is a graduate with distinction from San Diego State University. He holds a degree in Mexican-American studies and a law degree from California Western School of Law.

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