Council District 9 News

February 7, 2023

Hello Lydia,

I’m going to keep this intro especially short, because I don’t want to distract from the important reports from our team. I hope you’ll take a look at our Annual Report to see a summary of the work we accomplished together. Tons of trash removed, millions of dollars invested, and many, many hours of service all in the effort to make our community the best it can be. I appreciate your contributions to all that was done and look forward to more progress in the year ahead.

With gratitude,

Sean

2022 was an active and busy year for us all. Over 1000 constituent issues were worked on, 31 organizations were directly invested in by District 9, and there were 26 cleanups that removed over 300 tons of trash across our district. Millions of dollars were invested in our neighbors and we were able to deliver policy wins rooted in housing, clean and healthy communities, and safety and justice – for ALL.

You can learn more about all of these efforts, and our community’s achievements, in our 2022 Annual Report which is now available! You can access it on our website under the news and resources tab, specifically under resources. Direct link: sdd9.info/report

Council District 9 Updates

Housing as a Human Right Resolution

Recently, Council President Elo-Rivera brought forward a Housing as a Human Right resolution with Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe, Councilmember Joe LaCava, and Councilmember Raul Campillo for consideration and received unanimous support.

This resolution is a values statement and an invitation for accountability to uphold the dignity and rights of San Diegans. It should serve as an important shift away from the failed practice of treating housing as a commodity toward a future where this basic human need is made available to all.

The resolution establishes a commitment to taking action to lift San Diego out of our housing and homelessness crisis. The Council President will continue to support housing as a human right by implementing policies that address the root causes of homelessness, that keep people housed, and that provide pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness. This starts with our ongoing effort to strengthen tenant protections. The resolution can be accessed here.

Point in Time Count

Our office participated in the annual point-in-time count which is a volunteer effort to count the number of homeless people living on the streets in our region. While it was inspiring to see the approximately 1,600 people volunteer to count the number of unsheltered people in San Diego, it is incredibly frustrating that it takes so many people to do that work and that this continues to a growing problem in our city. The official numbers haven’t been released, but we anticipate a rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the City of San Diego.

Every single San Diegan has an opportunity to make a difference in addressing this problem, whether it’s leaders supporting measure to prevent people from falling into homelessness or neighbors welcoming new housing being built. We must work together to tackle this tragedy facing our city.

March Office Hours

The District 9 Office is now taking requests to meet with Council President Elo-Rivera during our March Office Hours as February’s are now full. These are opportunities for D9 residents to speak directly with the Council President for a 15-minute one-on-one meeting.

Office Hours will be held on Friday, March 17th, 9:30am-12pm and appointments are RSVP-ONLY. To be added to the interest list, please email your Community Representative (find yours here) with the following information:

Full name
Email address
Phone number
Preferred time

Your Community Representative will then follow up on your submission and the Director of Office Administration will send an appointment to confirm the meeting the week of Office Hours. We look forward to hearing from you!

City Heights Multi-Cultural Festival of Love

This Saturday (Feb. 11), join other community members for the City Heights Multi-Cultural Festival of Love. The festival will have live performances, resource fair, and showcase the rich diverse of the community.

Date: Saturday, February 11th

Time: 11am - 4pm

Location: Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park, 3795 Fairmount Ave

Normal Heights Cleanup - Ward Canyon

Join us this Saturday - February 11 at 9 AM - for a clean up in and around Ward Canyon Park. Just an hour. The city will provide long-handled pickers, gloves and trash bags. Bring your own if you have them. Bring a friend and chat while you pick!

Meeting Spot: Ward Canyon Neighborhood Park - Small Dog Area (4624 40th Street)

Time: 9:00 to 10:00 am

See you there!

Allied Healthcare Training Available to City Heights Residents

Nile Sisters Development Initiative (NSDI) is excited to announce its move back to City Heights. Its new headquarters, located at 4265 Fairmount Avenue, provides culturally competent victim support services and accelerated healthcare training to all San Diegans.

LearnMore, a nonprofit vocational training school developed by NSDI, offers hands-on training to individuals seeking an in-demand healthcare career path. The 22-day or 44-day Nurse Assistant Training Program offers weekday, weekend, and evening courses, with no wait list. Enrollment is open to anyone 16 years and older and does not require a GED or high school diploma.

An Admissions Counselor is available Monday through Friday by calling 1-833-532-7673.

Website: www.learnmorefast.org

Email: info@learnmorefast.org

Normal Heights Community Fridge

In partnership with the San Diego Fridge Project, Normal Heights United hosts a Community Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry right in front of their building (4650 Mansfield St) for the neighborhood to use. The Normal Heights Community Fridge operates on a "take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can" basis. All are invited to grab what they need, and also to shop for the neighborhood as they shop for themselves.

Want an easy to use list to bring to the store with you? Stop by NHUnited to grab one, or email molly@nhunited.org if you have any other questions!

Bye Bye Mattress

More than 75% of a mattress can be recycled into other products, diverting valuable resources from local landfills! Learn how to recycle and other free disposal options that may be available to you at ByeByeMattress.com. #byebyemattress

Spanish Translation:

Más del 75% de un colchón se puede reciclar, ¡desviando valiosos recursos de los vertederos locales! Aprenda como reciclar y otras opciones de eliminación gratuitas que pueden estar disponibles para usted en ByeByemattress.com. #byebyemattress

What We're Reading, Watching, and Listening

In this section, Council President Elo-Rivera and our team share a few things we’ve seen and heard that have influenced or impacted us since our last email.

Take a look and give these items a read or watch: