San Diego is taking a substantial swing at its housing crisis with the City Council's approval of Mayor Todd Gloria's Housing Action Package 2.0, a move to swiftly increase housing affordability and availability. The plan was given the green light in a seven-to-one vote, signifying substantial support for the initiative that seeks to ramp up the housing supply while tackling skyrocketing rents and homelessness head-on.
The new housing package, as reported by FOX 5 San Diego, is designed to ease regulations, enabling developers to more quickly build new housing with fewer restrictions. Notably, the plan will allow developers to swiftly move forward with constructing accessory dwelling units, reduce parking requirements for new developments near transit, and enable the construction of low or moderate-income housing in separate areas—so long as those are within three miles of the primary development with comparable amenities.
In a statement obtained from his official X page, Mayor Gloria expressed his enthusiasm for the passed housing reforms, "The lack of affordable housing is central to many of our city’s top challenges, particularly homelessness and sky-high rents. This series of reforms will boost the supply of homes and reduce the cost of housing, helping our businesses recruit and retain talent and putting more hard-earned dollars back into the pockets of everyday San Diegans."
The City Council today approved Housing Action Package 2.0, my latest package of policy reforms aimed at building new housing that San Diegans can afford.
— San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (@MayorToddGloria) December 13, 2023
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/FnZvyN3CCI
Further embracing the ethos of inclusivity, Housing Action Package 2.0 pledges to continue the City's commitment to make available regulations that encourage housing development for San Diego’s diverse population, with the official City of San Diego Planning Department stating, "Housing Action Package 2.0 will continue the commitment to create regulations that encourage the development of homes for San Diego’s diverse population." The end goal of the action is audacious—to generate up to 109,000 new housing units by the end of 2029.
