Housing construction locally and statewide is nowhere close to meeting the need for rent-restricted homes for lower-income people or improving the housing stock for middle-income folks.
The budget analyst’s report noted that during a rare joint meeting between the city and county in October, LeSar Development Consultants suggested “an extreme amount of housing production is needed to have sufficient supply to have a downward impact on rents.” The analyst said the city needed to reduce redundant or unnecessary steps in approving permits and financing, and that the overall process was inconsistent and uncertain.
One key concern is staff shortages. That’s a problem impacting services across San Diego city government, especially in the development services department. People working there have fallen so far behind on processing permits, the City Council on Monday approved two $2.5 million contracts to bring in temporary outside help to try to catch up on the backlog.
SB 9 was seen by supporters as a major step in relieving California’s housing crunch, while detractors said it would do away with single-family neighborhoods and create traffic congestion and parking issues.