The City of San Diego Needs A Vacancy Housing Audit

Let's get to the source of homelessness in San Diego, mainly the inability to afford rents and the segregation of “affordable” housing from “available” housing.

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Dr. Warren Editorial

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher,  San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

As San Diego continues to experience a monthly increase in homelessness and governmental entities pour millions of dollars into seeking to address the problem, it appears that the elephant in the room is the untapped number of vacant units already completed from Mission Valley to Downtown and beyond. We know that private developers own many of these buildings; that some are constructed as condominiums for sale or to be sold and that the rest which have been built as apartments for rent have monthly rates that exceed hourly wages for many.

If it has not done so already, perhaps it would be a good idea for the County Civilian Grand jury to investigate and prepare a report on whether developers and landlords need some regulation as to how they handle vacancies. A special look should be given to: (1) the use of security deposit requirements as a means of limiting who can afford housing, and (2) the use of public record notices of Evictions as a means of eliminating potential applicants because of past disputes with other landlords.

It should be remembered that during the Pandemic, there was a surge in eviction proceedings leading to a moratorium. The moratorium did not cancel the eviction proceedings on record but simply stopped them for a period of time. The suggested audit could be conducted by the city by simply reviewing building permits issued during the last five years for apartment and condo construction. Previous requests to the City have suggested that such record keeping is not available, which is not true. 

The Tenant Protection Ordinance enacted by the City of San Diego in the past two years must not be viewed as having fully addressed the problem of Tenant Rights. Let us remember that 49 percent of the residents of San Diego County and its cities are renters. We need more than additional beds and shelters for the homeless. Let’s get to the source of homelessness in San Diego, mainly the inability to afford rents and the segregation of “affordable” housing from “available” housing.

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