The San Diego City Council narrowly supported a new law mandating the construction of more low-income housing units in San Diego. The Council voted 5-4, making it vulnerable to a veto from San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer.
The new law would require that developers set aside 10 percent of their units from each of their projects for low-income families that earn less than 50 percent of the median income in the region. However, the law would also provide many alternative ways to conform to these requirements.
Supporters claim that the law is necessary to fix the housing crisis in San Diego while also decreasing homelessness. However, opponents argue that the requirements from this law would worsen the housing crisis by making the housing projects financially impractical.
The San Diego Union-Tribune took a vote from San Diego economists such as David Ely from San Diego State University, Kelly Cunningham from the San Diego Institute for Economic Research, and Phil Blair from Manpower San Diego. In total, the panel of economists voted 11-1 against the law, clearly indicating their desire for Mayor Faulconer to veto the proposal.
Alan Gin stood out as the only person to say that Mayor Faulconer should approve the law, rather than veto it. Gin is an associate professor of economics at the University of San Diego and has worked with the Community Development Department of Fresno County as well as the Public Works Department of the City of Oxnard.
Gin stated that while there will be an increase in the “in lieu” fee that will have to be paid, there are also many other alternatives to meet the requirements set by the law, making it easier for developers to choose what works for them.
Gin’s colleague at the University of San Diego, Norm Miller, argued that Mayor Faulconer should veto the law. Miller explained, “If Mayor Faulconer understands anything about how markets work then he should veto this well-intentioned but naive proposal by Council President Georgette Gomez.”
Miller supported his argument by asserting that even though the low-income units will be built, there will be many units that won’t be built due to the inability to offset increased costs. He argued that despite how good the idea may sound, it is illogical in the long run as it will make housing more expensive.
