Dear Neighbor,

San Diego's housing shortage lies at the root of so many of our biggest challenges, from affordability to homelessness to the ability of our businesses to attract and retain workers so our economy can continue to thrive.

We’re tackling this shortage from every angle through a comprehensive set of policies and programs aimed at spurring construction of more housing at all levels of affordability in every neighborhood across San Diego.

This includes simple measures like streamlining the permitting process to get shovels in the ground faster to long-range land use planning that increases the capacity for housing in our community plans, making more land available for development. We’re also encouraging the development of a broader range of housing types like townhomes by making approvals and permitting easier and faster.

We know there's much more work to be done, but I'm committed to keep working alongside elected and community leaders, builders, our City Planning and Development Services Departments and residents to keep innovating and implementing policies that will make housing more accessible and affordable for all San Diegans.

Together, we can build a future where every San Diegan has a roof over their head at a price they can afford.

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor. 

Launch of “Complete Communities Now” to Help Build More Housing that All San Diegans Can Afford  

At my State of the City address in January, I signed a new executive order requiring permit applications that fall under our Complete Communities program to be reviewed and permitted within 30 days.

What has typically taken up to 12 months to review, I ordered to be done in just one.  

Complete Communities incentivizes housing near transit, and last year it accounted for 1,000 of the new homes permitted, with 15% of those set aside for low- and moderate-income San Diegans.

This new, faster timeline will likely increase those numbers, creating even more homes San Diegans can afford.

Last week, we officially launched this new Complete Communities Now program.  

The new fast-tracked permitting program will build on the extraordinary success of our Affordable Housing Permit Now program, which we created last year.

Affordable Housing Permit Now required all 100% deed-restricted affordable housing projects to be reviewed in 30 days or fewer.

During its first year of implementation, Affordable Housing Permit Now has led to 21 projects permitted – with review and approval occurring within an average of nine days! Those projects total more than 2,300 homes with nearly 500 more in the pipeline; 1,300 of these apartments are already under construction.

These are projects that used to take several months to review. By getting shovels in the ground faster, we help builders reduce their costs and ensure certainty of the timeline, which helps greatly with project financing. Homebuilders have been reaching out with plaudits for the program and our Development Services Department’s efficient implementation.

This program helped make 2023 a banner year for housing. I’m thrilled to announce that we just got the final number of homes permitted in 2023. At nearly 9,700 new homes, it was an 82% increase over the prior year and the highest number of permits since at least 2005, if not longer.

Getting homes built faster is a major piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing our housing crisis, but it’s far from the only piece. In order for builders to create more housing, the City has to help clear the path with our land-use planning and policies as well.

One of the ways we do that is through updates to our community plans. These community plans serve as the blueprint for where future housing and employment job growth can occur in each of our neighborhoods.

We just released new final drafts of two community plan updates – one for Hillcrest and one for University City – that will create more opportunities to build housing in those neighborhoods.

Along with recent completed plans for Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa and Barrio Logan -- as well as soon-to-be-updated plans for the College Area, Clairemont and our Mid-City communities, -- these plans will dramatically increase San Diego’s overall capacity for housing and job growth.

These are just a few of the latest policies and programs our pro-housing city is putting into place to help build more homes that all San Diegans can afford.  

CBS 8: Students Say Unsafe Camping Ban Making A Big Difference 

It should go without saying: children should not have to walk out into busy streets to get around homeless tent encampments on their way to school. 

One of the main drivers behind the passage, and my signing, of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance was to solve that problem while also giving the people living in tents on the sidewalks a safe place to go.

It’s been over six months since the Unsafe Camping Ban took effect, and students in Barrio Logan say the law is already making a big difference.

CBS 8 reports that elementary and middle school students at Perkins Elementary School used to see drug use, fights, and human feces while walking to school, but now that encampments are banned in some public places, like near schools, those problems are gone. We've also been able to connect more than 650 people living in encampments to shelter.

We still have a lot of work to do, but I am so happy that the new law is creating a safer environment for students and pedestrians alike. I want to thank Perkins’ Principal, Fernando Hernandez, for advocating for this ordinance when it went before the City Council for approval last summer.

As we move forward, I remain committed to finding holistic solutions to homelessness while ensuring the safety and well-being of all San Diegans -- especially our children.

Groundbreaking Effort Aims to Reconnect Communities Divided by Freeways 

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a pilot program to reconnect three communities historically divided by freeways in California.

In Southern California, Reconnecting Communities: Highways to Boulevards grant program will increase access and traveling options in underserved and underinvested neighborhoods in southeastern San Diego and National City.

I’m thrilled to see our region secure state funding that will help us reconnect our Southeastern San Diego communities with other neighborhoods, as well as expand access to jobs and educational and recreational opportunities. 

I’m looking forward to working with the community to reactivate this corridor with bicycle and pedestrian connections, transit enhancements, parks and much-needed housing. 

Read more about Reconnecting Communities on Inside San Diego, the best place to stay connected to news and information from the City of San Diego.  

Road Repair Projects Continue in Otay Mesa, Del Mar Mesa, Torrey Hills and Carmel Valley

Several City of San Diego communities will soon have improved and safer streets as two slurry seal projects continue over the next two weeks.

This work is part of an overall effort to repair and resurface roads citywide. Starting this week, the City will begin resurfacing streets in and around Otay Mesa and the Carmel Valley area.

Slurry seal is used to prevent the deterioration of streets, which is vital to improving the overall condition of San Diego’s network of roads. It reduces the need for a more costly asphalt overlay and reconstruction for badly deteriorated streets. Information about different types of street repair can be found on the Transportation webpage.

Slurry seal is often completed in phases over several days or weeks. Multiple slurry seal projects are happening across the City simultaneously and are often coupled with other upgrades to increase safety and mobility for all modes of transportation.

The latest work as part of Slurry Seal Projects 2323 and 2324 will be completed, weather permitting, through the month of March.

Click here for a list of the roads being resurfaced. You can also view a map of past, current and future street repair in your neighborhood by visiting the City’s interactive StreetsSD map.

Listening to Local Business Owners About Issues That Matter Most  

It was great to meet with the Business for Good group and learn more about the issues local entrepreneurs are focusing on. Business For Good empowers our local business community to engage with the City and other local leaders so we can continue ensuring that San Diego is a pro-business city with equitable and prosperous opportunities.

An In-Depth Conversation with San Diego Latino Professionals 

Thank you to the San Diego Latino Professionals for inviting me to their Fireside Chat! Our Latino community is an invaluable part of the fabric of our city. My administration will continue to do the work to amplify Latino voices and invest in this community.  

Breakfast, Firefighters and Firefighting Memorabilia  

I was honored to join the annual pancake breakfast at the San Diego Firehouse Museum with our incredible San Diego Fire Department! Fueling up on pancakes while celebrating our local heroes -- what a fantastic way to spend St. Patrick’s Day weekend!  

Happy Persian New Year, San Diego!  

I celebrated Nowruz, or Persian New Year, with San Diego’s Persian community. Nowruz is a celebration that takes place on the first day of Spring. It’s also one of the oldest holidays that is celebrated by more than 300 million people around the world. San Diego’s Persian Cultural Center (PCC) organized this wonderful community celebration to bring the Persian community, local elected officials, and guests together to celebrate.