The City of San Diego's commitment to equity is sharply in focus with the unveiling of its Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Budget, where funding priorities aim to offer a hand up to historically underserved communities. At the heart of the city's financial roadmap, the Budget Equity Framework steers departments to weigh the impact of their spending through coaching sessions and Budget Equity Impact Statements, closely monitored by the Tactical Equity Plan Dashboard for transparent tracking of progress in service delivery across San Diego's diverse neighborhoods, as per the City of San Diego.
In a sweeping effort to reshape how infrastructure investments are selected, the city has baked equity into the mix with scoring criteria that boost projects in areas often overlooked; this includes revisions to the Pavement Management Plan that now factors in neighborhood equity in addition to pavement condition, ultimately this aligns street repair decisions with the needs of those communities that historically haven't received their share, the infrastructure investments they deserve, according to the City of San Diego.
San Diego is equally persistent in expanding access and opportunities within the budget framework, shielding programs like SD Access 4 All, which broadens digital landscapes by supplying over 3 million free Wi-Fi sessions annually, and initiatives like Language Access that tear down language barriers to civic participation. Further bolstering community resilience are the No Shots Fired Program targeting gun violence, housing stability measures, and employment initiatives like the Employ and Empower Intern Program geared toward inclusivity in career paths into public service.
