Building Industry Association of San Diego County
eWeekly Newsletter
November 29, 2016
Gaspar Declares Victory
By Matt Adams
   It was a happy Thanksgiving for supporters of County Supervisor candidate Kristin Gaspar as the Encinitas Mayor declared victory in her quest to unseat incumbent Dave Roberts. Gaspar saw her lead in the District 3 race grow with each new report throughout the holiday weekend. Despite trailing Roberts by 2,200 votes when election day ballots were tallied, Gaspar closed the gap and jumped ahead by 1,242 votes as the Registrar of Voters office went through the remaining 600,000+ mail and provisional  ballots. Her victory is no small feat considering it's the first time in 32 years that a candidate has defeated an incumbent supervisor. Based on the remaining ballots at the Registrar of Voters office, her lead is considered insurmountable by many including Dave Roberts, who has already conceded the race. His concession paves the way for Gaspar to be sworn in as the new County Supervisor on January 2, 2017.
Holiday Bike Drive & Amazon Shopping
   Please consider donating to the BIA Cares Holiday Bike Drive. 100% of your donation is used to provide bicycles and helmets to underprivileged children in San Diego. For every $75 donation one bicycle and helmet is purchased. All donations are 100% tax deductible.  Click here for the donation form . 
   You can also support BIA Cares by selecting it as your preferred charity when shopping at Amazon. Just sign in at: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/33-0382223 and select BIA Cares as your charitable organization.
Send P2 Commitment Form Now - Pay in 2017
By Michael Harris
   Separate from your membership dues, the Partnership Program (P2) is a yearly sponsorship that provides a lot of value including marketing exposure at all our events, credit to  register  for events, extra exposure in the membership directories, and other perks depending on the tier selected. One of the biggest value-added perks is the ability to have VIP early access into our Meet the Builder event. Get recognized now on our website when you send your 2017 commitment form.
    Click here for the brochure that has more information on how the program works and the commitment form.
Calling all Builders & Interior Designers
   BIA Cares is asking for donations of model home furniture, accessories, artwork, etc. for our next model home furniture sale.  We can arrange for pick-up of your donation at any time. As a result of the furniture sales over the years we have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that have gone back into the community in support of many charitable organizations.  This outreach to the community has been the result of the generosity of our BIA members.  If you have items to donate, please contact Sue Dowd, 760-419-7728 or Lora Heramb, 619-495-6035.  Thank you.   
SD Housing Crisis Forges New 'YIMBY' Alliance
By Andrew Bowen, KPBS     
   San Diego's housing crisis can be measured in many different ways:  rising rents and home prices,  low vacancy rates or the  soaring number of people living on the streets. Few dispute that the reason behind the crisis is a restricted housing supply. Production of new housing hasn't come close to keeping up with the region's growing population.
   At the center of the debate over how and where to build new housing is density. And  uniting around it are groups that are typically on opposite sides of the political spectrum: environmentalists and developers.
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Affordable Housing Additions Don't Keep Up
with Subtractions
By James Dehaven         
   Despite billions of taxpayer dollars spent to provide affordable housing, San Diego is apparently losing ground - opening up fewer low-income units than the ones that are shutting down, according to a review of city records.
   According to the review of public meeting minutes, property and financial records, city officials agreed to remove 10,000 affordable dwellings from the rolls over the past six years - the same number the San Diego Housing Commission has opened since its inception in 1979.
Read More
 
IN THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events
BIA Cares
Holiday Bike Drive
When : Ongoing through December 16th
BIA Orientation
When : January 18, 2017 at 9:00am
Where : BIA Office
RSVP to  Robin Richardson
2017 Installation Dinner
When : January 21  at 5:30pm
Where : Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Save the Date!
BIA Breakfast
When : Thursday, February 16 @ 7:30am
Want to get important event reminders?
 
"Our mission is to be a united, strong industry voice for the development of adequate housing, mixed use and commercial facilities that meet the needs of a growing and prosperous community."