BIA Will Oppose Any San Diego City Council Anti-Housing Action

Last week the San Diego City Council unanimously repealed “Footnote 7”, which reduced the minimum lot size for single-family homes on some parcels from 20,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet in the Encanto Neighborhoods Community Plan area.

Councilmember Henry Foster led this effort, with the support of the full city council. But the action didn’t stop there.

The motion to repeal “Footnote 7” also included, “Direction [to] staff to return to City Council within 60 days with an action item to remove the City's ADU Density Bonus Program so that the ADU program is consistent with the state-mandated ADU regulations for single-family zoned parcels.”

This direction to city staff took everyone by surprise. It is unclear how Mayor Todd Gloria, who championed the ADU program, will respond. 

“I’m really excited about what I’m seeing here because what I’m seeing is opportunity – the opportunity for more folks to be able to live in our city at a price they can afford,” Mayor Gloria said in this video the city shared three years ago, showing the mayor touring a new apartment community created by the ADU Density Bonus Program. 

His office says the mayor is exploring his options. The BIA has been asked how it intends to respond and what actions we will be taking. 

Here is what we know for sure: we will oppose the City Council’s elimination of this program and we want all of our members and their networks to oppose it, too.

San Diego is attempting to dig out of a severe housing crisis, and ADUs are a part of the solution. Opponents of housing have latched onto the city’s award winning program as a nuisance to communities, while simultaneously criticizing other programs that have produced more housing in San Diego.

We are meeting with councilmembers to ensure they understand the positive impact the city’s pro-housing policies have had in our region, and ensure adoption of such policies does not stop. Any action that is taken to slow down the production of housing will take us in the wrong direction and exacerbate our housing crisis.