San Diego's housing scene is getting a facelift, Mayor Todd Gloria launched a new initiative dubbed "Complete Communities Now," aimed at pushing more housing permits through the pipeline at breakneck speed. This move will require the city's departments to hustle and deliver reviews of housing projects within a mere 30 days, a mandate straight from the mayor's executive pen stroke before his State of the City address in January.
"As a renter myself, I keenly understand the housing crisis we're in – the rent is too high, and homeownership is seemingly unattainable. We change this, by building a lot more housing and getting shovels in the ground as quickly as possible," Gloria stated, as reported by the City of San Diego. This rollout is not just about swiftness, but it's a whole package affair, encompassing conveniently located housing, enhanced mobility, better parks, and nifty infrastructure upgrades.
Since its inception in December 2020, the program has made waves, racking up 22 building permits for a grand total of 1,600 homes, with 280 earmarked as affordable housing. The permit acceleration is no small part of San Diego's plan to make living in the city a feasible dream, not a wallet-draining nightmare.
Last January's executive order followed in the footsteps of another from the previous year, which demanded cut-downs in processing times for 100% affordable housing projects — from several months to under a month. Mayor Gloria proudly announced that this steamrolling effort led to 9,691 new homes being permitted in 2023, an eye-popping 82% increase from 2022, according to the City of San Diego. That set a record high the city hasn't seen since at least 2005, a clear signal that San Diego means business when it comes to fixing its housing squeeze.
The building bonanza is part and parcel of Gloria's housing affordability strategy, including Housing Action Packages and the Bridge to Home program, which provides critical gap-financing assistance. To top it all off, the California State dropped a seal of approval, dubbing San Diego a "Pro-housing City."
Yet another brick in the housing supply wall, the City unveiled final drafts of community plan updates for Hillcrest and University City alongside Blueprint SD, which stands as a guiding light for long-term growth and development.
