Council District 9 News
April 20, 2023
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Hello Lydia,
Imagine being at home with your family and opening the mail to find that you’ll need to move. You’ve always paid your rent on time and there are no accusations that you’ve broken a term of your lease. Nonetheless, you are being evicted and need to find a new place to live. Imagine the stress of breaking the news to your family coupled with the stress of trying to find a home you can afford when rental prices have skyrocketed to an average of over $3,000 per month for a modest two-bedroom apartment. Would you be able to afford to continue to live in San Diego?
For too many San Diegans, this scenario is not hypothetical.
San Diegans who are paying their rent and abiding by their lease should not live in fear of eviction. Sadly, too often, San Diego renters are being evicted despite following the rules. These evictions cause massive financial and emotional distress to families and can lead to displacement and put people at risk of homelessness.
Strengthening tenant protections is a critical step the City can take to address San Diego’s housing and homelessness crises. Next week, Mayor Gloria and I will be introducing an ordinance at Council, which would provide the protections that San Diego renters need and deserve. Reducing evictions, especially “no-fault” evictions, can help reduce the number of residents falling into homelessness, as well as prevent the many negative and lifelong impacts from a lease termination.
Learn more about the proposed ordinance by reading through this newsletter.
With gratitude,
Sean
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Council District 9 Updates | |
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The Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance to Prevent Displacement and Homelessness ordinance will be heard at the City Council meeting next Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The draft ordinance is the result of a collaborative process between Mayor Todd Gloria, Council President Elo-Rivera, tenants rights advocates and the Southern California Rental Housing Association.
Mayor Todd Gloria and Council President Sean Elo-Rivera have proposed a new tenant protection law to bring San Diego up to the standards set by AB 1482. In a few key areas, the proposed protections go above and beyond Statewide standards, including:
- Protections apply on Day 1 of a lease, with a narrow exemption for short-term leases.
- Financial assistance when a tenants' lease is terminated through no fault of their own. Currently, no financial assistance is required.
- Accountability measures to make sure bad actors can’t get away with violating these protections.
Renters and landlords are currently operating under the 2004 Tenants Right to Know Ordinance which does not provide protections for renters unless they have lived in their residence for two years.
Read the draft ordinance here: www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/o-2023-143_residential_tenant_protections_ordinance.pdf
For additional information on the draft ordinance: www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd9/housing-tenant-protections
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Tenant Protection Ordinance Fact Sheet
English
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InformaciĂłn sobre la Ordenanza de ProtecciĂłn al Inquilino
Spanish
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May Office Hours
The District 9 Office is now taking requests to meet with Council President Elo-Rivera during our May Office Hours. These are opportunities reserved especially for D9 residents to speak directly with the Council President for a 15-minute one-on-one meeting.
Office Hours will be held on Friday, May 19th from 9am-12pm either in-person or virtually, and appointments are RSVP-ONLY. To be added to the interest list, please email your Community Representative (find yours here) with the following information:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Preferred time
Your Community Representative will then follow up on your submission and the Director of Office Administration will send an appointment to confirm the meeting the week of Office Hours. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Community Cleanups
We are highlighting the two community cleanups that happened this weekend!
The Council District 9 Office hosted a cleanup in Hollywood Park. Thank you to the Hollywood Park community, and Director of Community Engagement Martha Zapata, for making Saturday’s cleanup event a success. Together they filled three 40-yard dumpsters and helped community members dispose of bulky items at no cost.
The second community cleanup was in honor of Earth Day and was organized by the Knights of Columbus in City Heights. A huge shoutout to the Knights of Columbus and all of the neighbors who participated by cleaning up Home Avenue. Thank you for your leadership!
A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who showed up to the cleanups this weekend and for their dedication to improving our community!
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City Budget Update
Last Friday, Mayor Gloria released the proposed budget for the City of San Diego's Fiscal Year 2024 (which runs from July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Take a look at the budget here: sdd9.info/fy2024
To make this more accessible, our office has put together this timeline of what’s to come. This is a living timeline, so some of these dates may change in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout for updates and more information from us on these opportunities.
What are some ideas you’d like our office to think about when it comes to empowering our community around the budget? Let us know!
View the previously submitted District 9 budget memos, and budget resources, at sdd9.info/budget
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Celebrating Earth Day & Creek to Bay Cleanups | |
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Celebrate Earth Day by volunteering at one of the Creek to Bay Cleanup sites or checking out a neighborhood celebration this Saturday (April 22)! Here are just a few of the events happening in D9 this weekend:
Rolando Park
Join Rolando Park Community Council at Zena Canyon for a cleanup from 9am-12pm. They’ll be set up at the Zena Canyon entrance on Zena Dr.
Azalea Park
From 9am-12pm meet Azelea Park neighbors, Linda Pennington and James Lively in the front yard of 4287 Poplar. They’ll have grabbers, trash bags, and nitrile gloves (or bring your own gloves).
Cherokee Point
Join the City Heights Clean & Safe Coalition at Cherokee Point Elementary School from 10am-12pm!
City Heights
There’s a City Heights Creek to Bay Cleanup event that will begin at the Tower Bar parking lot and continue through the community from 9am-12pm.
Mt. Hope
Stop by the Mt. Hope Earth Day Fair at Dennis V Allen Park from 12-4pm. Celebrate Earth Day with tacos, arts and crafts, a DJ, a bounce house and more!
Kensington-Talmadge
Join the all ages Earth Day event from 11-2pm at Kensington-Normal Heights Library Park.
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San Diego Single Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance
Reminder: Effective April 1, 2023, most polystyrene foam products are prohibited from being sold or distributed in the City of San Diego. The San Diego Single Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance supports the City’s zero-waste goals and will help reduce the number of plastics entering San Diego’s environment, waterways and the landfill.
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In line with the City’s landmark 2022 Climate Action Plan, the ordinance will prohibit businesses from selling and distributing food service ware, egg cartons and food trays made in whole or in part from polystyrene foam. This includes bowls, plates, trays, cups, lids and other similar items designed for one-time use for prepared foods, including containers for dine-in, takeout food and leftovers. In addition to food containers, the ordinance will include coolers, beach toys and other polystyrene foam items that are difficult to recycle.
For more information on the ordinance, visit www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/pf-ban
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