The economic uncertainties of the coronavirus has made it an absolute necessity for every city to provide relief to the housing industry. Thankfully, San Diego leaders have been taking important initiatives to protect our citizens.
The San Diego City Council recently unanimously adopted an interim urgency ordinance, which extends the expiration of development permit applications by 60 days and building permit applications by 365 days. This is a big step to address housing availability and affordability issues.
“The uncertainty in the building industry is at an all-time high due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Councilmember Scott Sherman. “The City must do all it can to provide relief in any way possible. At the beginning of this crisis the City was pro-active and took steps to provide relief. This action builds on that work and will offer real relief to the building industry during this time of uncertainty. I would like to thank the Mayor and our hard-working Development Services Department staff.”
This relief is the first of many steps that San Diego needs to take. Reducing regulations, taxes, and licensing burdens will incentivize more affordable housing development, something we desperately need to pull us out of this difficult time.
“During these unprecedented times, it’s easy to forget that San Diego still faces a housing crisis. The cost of housing remains extremely high and will only get worse if building is stalled,” said Sherman. “I am thankful this common-sense solution received unanimous support at Council.”
