Another proposed solution is for the city to seek grant opportunities for new housing development. But the City Council is not running a small local nonprofit organization reliant on grant funding. The City Council is responsible for the sixth largest city in the U.S., with the fourth largest homeless population. The fact that the City Council proposes grants as a solution to the affordable housing crisis is concerning, given the severity of our housing and homelessness crisis. While grants may supplement the city’s attempt to address the housing crisis, the discussion should focus on identifying permanent funding sources to replace redevelopment funds, accessing county reserves, and a bond measure.
The housing ideas proposed by San Diego’s mayor and City Council members as solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crisis that caused the hepatitis A outbreak are indicative of a concerning level of housing policy incompetence. We should not applaud elected officials’ good intentions in proposing housing plans and solutions, because good intentions behind hollow housing plans won’t do anything to actually help San Diego’s affordable housing problem. The City Council must implement evidence-based housing policies now.