Dear Neighbor, 

The lack of affordable homes in our community is directly connected to every challenge we face – from homelessness, to cost of living, to job creation and retention.

That’s why I have brought forward a second series of policy reforms designs to spur the creation of new housing in order to get people experiencing homelessness off the street, bring down rent costs, and put more money in San Diegans’ pockets.

The City Council will take up my Housing Action Package 2.0 tomorrow.

Every one of the policy proposals in this package will work to create more housing by making it easier and faster to build homes in the city of San Diego. Ending our housing shortage ultimately will bring down rents that have skyrocketed over the past decade because demand so far exceeds our supply.

HAP 2.0 will also help create jobs. When we build more housing, we employ a wide range of skilled professionals including architects, civil engineers, construction workers, carpenters, electricians, landscapers, real estate agents and others who work together to bring construction projects to completion.

Addressing a housing crisis that has lasted for decades won’t be quick or easy, but we’re already seeing our policies pay off in new homes across the city, so we’ll keep pushing.

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

Illicit Fentanyl-Related Arrests Up 53% in City of San Diego  

Last November, I signed an executive order that directed greater law enforcement and legislative action to address the proliferation of illicit fentanyl.

When I issued that executive order last fall, I did so with the recognition of the immense human toll this dangerous drug was having – how illicit fentanyl is destroying lives and families and supercharging our homelessness crisis.

Last year, in the City of San Diego alone, 410 people died of fentanyl overdose. This is a 800% increase over five years prior, when 45 people were killed by the drug in 2018. Further, fentanyl overdose was the No. 1 cause of death of people experiencing homelessness, with 181 lives lost to the drug in 2022.

I’m pleased to report that with the direction provided in the executive order, we are stepping up enforcement against the peddlers of this poison. The San Diego Police Department has increased fentanyl-related arrests by 53% in the city of San Diego

That’s thanks to San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit’s leadership and the great work of SDPD’s Narcotics Division – along with enhanced cooperation and coordination with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. 

Their work was done in coordination with the Regional Fentanyl Task Force – which, after the roundtable I hosted with state Attorney General Rob Bonta in October, now has two additional investigators from the AG’s office.

We have a lot left to do to get this crisis under control. But at all levels of government, we are treating illicit fentanyl as the scourge that it is and working together to end the death and destruction it’s causing in our communities.

Read more about our efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis on Inside San Diego.  

New Streamlined Permitting Process Speeds Construction of Workforce Housing 

Working alongside the City to secure necessary approvals, Affirmed Housing tapped my Affordable Housing Permit Now program, created this year by the City’s Development Services Department in response to an executive order I issued in January directing City staff to streamline the ministerial permit process for affordable, workforce housing projects.

The program allowed Affirmed Housing and HP Investors to break ground much quicker on Symphony at Del Sur, a new mixed-use, workforce housing community located in San Diego’s Del Sur neighborhood

Not only does the project create good jobs for the construction industry in San Diego, once complete, Symphony at Del Sur will deliver more attainable housing options for those local workers and other middle-income families who are otherwise commuting long distances to work.

The complex will feature 171 apartments for households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), as well as 8,768 sq. ft. of commercial retail space for a future tenant, such as a restaurant, that will provide a gathering place for families and generate jobs in the area. 

This project demonstrates what’s possible when we come together to execute on a common goal – housing hardworking San Diegans

Read more about the Symphony at Del Sur project here. 

Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Local Economy

Our Economic Development Department (EDD) has put together a new Economic Development Strategy that details real-world programs and initiatives to help boost the local economy and ensure it works for all San Diegans. 

The Development Strategy outlines how the City of San Diego can have a positive impact on the lives of individuals, families, organizations and communities in San Diego, and it redefines the City's approach to economic development by placing a renewed emphasis on quality of life and community partnerships.

This shift has led to the EDD’s program implementation related to the Promise Zone, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) services, Small Business Engagement, and Capacity Building grants.

This new plan was informed by the priorities and concerns raised through an intense community engagement process and the input the City received from community-based organizations, residents, industry representatives, and businesses with which the EDD partners and serves.

The Economic Development Strategy focuses on four pillars 

• Support for families and workers  
• Support small and local business 
• Bolster trade and innovation 
• Strengthen Neighborhoods 

In furtherance of these objectives, the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee unanimously approved proposed revisions to Council Policy 900-12 updating the City’s Business Incentive Program last week.

The proposal will remove barriers that have prevented many businesses from qualifying for direct assistance from the City. Under the new guidelines, qualifying businesses that create or retain jobs and make capital investments can be eligible for incentives ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 that can be used to pay for City fees, workforce development training, financing, and technical support. The new program will be considered by the full Council in January, and is expected to be activated in February 2024.

Much remains to be done, but City staff, in collaboration with my office and the City Council, are set to tackle San Diego’s needs through various plans and initiatives. 

This new strategy will complement the City’s ongoing efforts to boost our local economy by guiding the City’s Economic Development staff as they help cultivate an economy in San Diego that works for all of us. 

County Delays Conservatorship Reform for a Year

San Diego County’s decision to delay implementation of conservatorship reform in our region for a year is disappointing.

I'm hopeful that the progress report included in the proposal that was passed will hold County staff accountable to implement this desperately needed program to get severely ill people the care they need no later than January 1, 2025.

Every day that passes without action is a day these folks are at risk on our streets. 

At the Board of Supervisors meeting where this issue was discussed, I was heartened to hear the universal agreement that San Diego County must do more to address the mental and behavioral health needs of our communities, which I presume will translate to joining the City of San Diego in support of the proposed statewide measure to fund 12,000 additional detox and psychiatric treatment beds

I will continue to push for acting with urgency to address the behavioral health crisis that’s impacting all of our communities.