Of the 19 cities under the control of the Association of San Diego County Governments (SANDAG), only one, Lemon Grove, complied with the standards established by the Government of California, regarding the number of housing units required.
According to a grand jury report made public, the main municipal governments in San Diego County reportedly failed in their attempts to build enough housing during an eight-year cycle. As a result, the grand jury advised employing specific plans to construct homes close to the transportation center.
It was also advised that they collaborate with neighborhood religious institutions, schools, and the district of community colleges to locate developable land.
Likewise, it is instructed to promote legislation that helps assist in the financing of all homes, particularly “affordable” housing.
The San Diego region was mandated by the California government to plan 161,980 housing units between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2020, to meet the state's increasing housing demand.
What are the state standards?
The housing developments' units were divided into four income ranges following this planning process: 36,450 apartments were allotted to households with the lowest income, 27,700 apartments for low income, 30,610 units for moderate income, and 67,220 units for incomes above moderate income.
The report also reminded that all local governments in the state of California have been required to develop plans to address the housing needs of every member of the community every eight years since 1969, or a little over half a century.
However, as expected, only the City of Lemon Grove has achieved all four requirements, possibly as a result of the affordable housing construction by Citrónica that is currently under design.
The report lists Chula Vista, San Diego, Carlsbad, Coronado, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, San Marcos, and Vista as among the cities that achieved a housing goal, though all only satisfied "income per above the moderates" without meeting the needs of any resident earning less than the area median income, or AMI (Area Median Income).
“Housing is a human right”…But
Sean Elo Rivera, President of the San Diego City Council and Councilor for District 9 stated, "It is a human right, and we must make this statement to ensure that we, as elected officials and our entire community, take ownership of our responsibility to take the necessary steps to ensure that all San Diegans have a real opportunity to have a decent and stable housing required to lead a dignified and healthy life."
The reality is that not only are San Diego County towns' plans for home building well behind schedule, but the majority of the population simply does not have the necessary income to buy a home.
And now San Diego County must create 171, 685 new housing units between June 30, 2020, and April 15, 2029, almost 10,000 more than they did during the previous cycle, to fulfill the increased housing demand.
It is sufficient to recall that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors met to discuss the Regional Allocation of Needs of Living Place during the first week of October of the previous year.
