‘A Vision of Hope’: San Diego Unveils Refugee and Immigrant Culture Hub

After a year of planning, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) unveiled the Refugee and Immigrant Culture Hub (RICH) site, a housing and cultural campus for refugees and immigrants near City Heights.

RICH emerged from the 2020 Census, which counted over 47,000 African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian residents in San Diego’s Mid-City, according to NBC San Diego.

The unveiling event, held over the weekend on the newly acquired 2.2-acre site, brought together over 500 community members who contributed to a visioning process for the RICH campus.

Local leaders, including San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera and PANA’s Ramla Sahid, addressed the crowd, while architect Brandon Martella unveiled a 3-D model of the development.

Timed just ahead of International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, the event emphasized the importance of creating welcoming spaces for displaced communities. As refugee and immigrant populations anticipate challenges under the next Trump Administration, organizers said the RICH campus is seen as a critical investment in their future.

The campus will address San Diego’s housing crisis by offering transitional and affordable housing, job training, food security programs, health services and spaces for cultural connection. Its community-owned model ensures the land will remain outside speculative markets, guaranteeing long-term stability for those it serves.

“The Refugee and Immigrant Culture Hub is more than just a building — it’s a vision of hope, dignity and shared responsibility,” said Sahid, a former refugee who fled Somalia’s civil war with her family as a child.

“This project honors the culture of refugees and immigrants, providing a space where they can rebuild their lives and contribute to the community. It is a reflection of the values we hold dear: inclusion, compassion and a commitment to welcoming newcomers with open arms. RICH shows what is possible when we come together to create a future where everyone can thrive,” Sahid said.

The project is set to be completed by 2030.