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Dear Neighbor,
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 43, which finally updates California’s conservatorship laws for the first time in more than 50 years.
Thanks to the bill’s author, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), Californians experiencing serious mental illness or severe substance use disorder can have a conservator appointed to help get them the care they need.
The people who will be helped by this new law are those whose mental illness puts them in serious danger. Far too many of these people have become homeless and are left to languish on our streets – even though they have families who love them and are trying to help them but are unable to convince them to get treatment.
In addition to SB 43, Governor Newsom also signed a historic mental health legislative package that further modernizes the state’s behavioral health care system. This includes a $6.38 billion bond to build more than 11,000 new behavioral health beds and housing units, which Californians will be able to vote on next year.
I am so grateful to Sen. Eggman and Gov. Newsom for their steadfast commitment to meaningfully addressing the devastating impacts California’s mental health and addiction crises are having on families and communities.
I know these mental health reforms will save lives.
As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.
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Latest Grants Report Shows Largest-Ever Awards for City of San Diego
Last fiscal year, the City secured 97 grants totaling over $306 million! This is 4% higher than the prior fiscal year and the highest dollar amount ever recorded since the City started publishing an annual grant report.
These federal, state, regional and private grants help fund a wide variety of City priorities and activities such as economic development, emergency response preparedness, homelessness services, road and bridge repair, public safety and enhancing water reliability.
This includes:
- $750,000 to temporarily house families fleeing domestic violence;
- $2.4 million to resolve homeless encampments in East Village and get the people living there into housing;
- $2.5 million we secured to finally rebuild roads in Rancho Bernardo damaged by wildfire;
- $8.5 million in federal and state funds we received for a new Ocean Beach Library;
- $4 million for improvements to Clay Park in Rolando Village;
- $3 million for the new Beyer Park in San Ysidro.
These are just a few examples of how the grants awarded and highlighted in this report are going to help deliver benefits for San Diegans across the city for generations to come. You can find the FY2023 Citywide Grants Report with a full list of projects and services being funded here.
It’s been a key priority of mine to ensure we’re getting our fair share of resources from all levels of government, and this report shows our success in doing just that.
We can all be proud of the progress we’ve made on grants that help the City address key issues such as homelessness, our aging infrastructure, and public safety.
We will continue to aggressively pursue all available funding to create a City that truly serves all San Diegans.
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State Awards San Diego $20.8 Million to House People Experiencing Homelessness
The State of California has awarded the City of San Diego $20.8 million in Homekey program funds for two projects that will create additional permanent affordable homes with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.
Homekey funding is a crucial tool in meeting our city’s top challenge because, while outreach and shelter are critical components of our efforts to address homelessness, what will truly solve homelessness is housing.
The state awarded these Homekey funds to our San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) for projects that will produce a total of 75 new affordable rental housing units with onsite supportive services. All these units would serve people experiencing homelessness.
Nearly $17 million of the award will fund SDHC’s purchase and rehabilitation of the Ramada Inn on Midway Drive to create 62 affordable single-room occupancy (SRO) homes. An additional $3.9 million from the state will support SDHC’s collaboration with Wakeland Housing to rehabilitate a vacant multifamily housing property on Abbott Street in Ocean Beach to create 13 affordable housing units.
Our Housing Commission has committed rental housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent at the properties. Residents will receive access to supportive services, such as primary health care, mental and behavioral health care, and other community-based programs that meet their individual needs.
I’m grateful to Governor Newsom and our partners at the county and state for helping us put a roof over people’s heads with supportive services to permanently end their homelessness.
Read more about Homekey funding here.
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Progress at ‘O’ Lot, City’s Next Safe Sleeping Site
I recently stopped by “O” Lot to see the progress being made to get the City’s next Safe Sleeping site for people experiencing homelessness up-and-running.
Here are some of the highlights of the work undertaken by nine City departments, including our Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department, Department of General Services, Public Utilities Department and others:
- Built 366 platforms to help weatherproof the tents.
- Used over 32,000 feet of lumber to build those platforms, in addition to 800 sheets of plywood.
- Ran about 2,000 linear feet of electrical conductors on 50 power poles 50 power poles. power poles.
- Installed eight sewer receptacles and six potable water connections to run the showers and laundry on the site.
- Built and paved a new access road to the site.
I am so proud of City staff who’ve been working hard to get this site up and running in the coming weeks.
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Standing with Israel and Calling for Peace
There was a powerful showing of solidarity with Israel and our Jewish community at a vigil for Israel held in La Jolla.
Organized by the Jewish Federation of San Diego, thousands of San Diegans gathered to mourn the terrorist attacks and show support for Jewish people in Israel and here at home.
We also illuminated our Convention Center in blue the night of the vigil — a symbol of our city's support.
Amid the escalating war between the government of Israel and Hamas, and as vigils and marches continue here in San Diego and across the world, I want to remind everyone that we are a peaceful city, and San Diegans are people of good will who understand that diversity among our cultures and traditions is a strength that should be celebrated.
While this conflict is taking place, we must remember that it should not divide us here at home.
As Mayor, I won’t tolerate any violence or acts of hatred in our city – against anyone. Regardless of our individual perspectives on this complex issue, we can continue to maintain respect for one another and ensure our community remains a haven of peace, respect, and inclusivity.
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Mayor Gloria Joins San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Delegation in Mexico City
I joined a group of nearly 90 business and community leaders from San Diego and Baja California on a quick trip to Mexico City to champion U.S.-Mexico relations and advance issues critical to the success of our binational community.
We met with Mexican leaders and government officials to help strengthen economic and diplomatic ties and discuss opportunities for collaboration on issues like immigration, cross-border pollution and reducing border wait times.
Read more about the trip here.
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The City of San Diego Has Gone Green!
Every City-serviced home in San Diego now has a green bin for organic waste recycling!
The City’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) recently completed the delivery of more than 200,000 Organic Waste Recycling green bins to City-serviced homes, empowering San Diegans to do their part for the environment by collecting their food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings for weekly collection.
Recycling organic waste is a key part of achieving our climate action goals. I know changing habits can be hard, but separating your organics keeps waste out of our landfills and reduces harmful emissions created by rotting waste.
The City's Environmental Services Department has done a great job sharing tips to help all San Diegans take advantage of this new service, and I ask everyone to make an effort to incorporate organic waste recycling into your lives.
The Organic Waste Recycling Program helps the City comply with Senate Bill 1383, which requires all California residents and businesses to reduce the disposal of organic waste by 75% by 2025. It also moves the City closer to achieving Zero Waste and Climate Action Plan goals.
Since the program rollout started in January of this year, more than 53,000 tons of organic waste have been collected for recycling.
Read more about the City’s organic waste recycling program here.
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GETTING IT DONE: FIXING OUR STREETS | |
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North Park’s Newly Smoothed Streets
Roads in North Park are now sealed up and smooth as can be, thanks to City crews making our streets safer to drive. Road repair projects are continuing in and around the Valencia Park, University Heights, Hillcrest, Ridgeview and Emerald Hills in the coming weeks.
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Food, Performances and Fun at the So Sarap Festival
Thanks to the Philippine Performing Arts Company, or PASACAT, for hosting the So Sarap! Philippine Festival! I was happy to take part in the festival and enjoyed delicious food and beautiful performances. I am proud to be San Diego’s first Fil-Am mayor and share our pinoy culture, traditions and history with our city.
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Celebrating Our Climate Crusaders
I had a great time at I Love A Clean San Diego’s Fall Social in Mission Bay. It’s so important to celebrate environmental action in our community, which is what this organization does by recognizing community members and partners who help them in their mission to reduce waste and create a better climate future for all of us.
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Kicking of Dia de Los Muertos Celebration in Sherman Heights
The Sherman Heights Community Center’s Noche De Mole event marks the start of a three week-long Día de los Muertos celebration. Noche de Mole is a beloved annual tradition, and I was thrilled to attend for the third year in a row. This year, I added a photo of my Grandma Margarita to the community ofrenda. Honoring lost loved ones together is such a beautiful, community-building experience. The Día de los Muertos community altars are on view inside the Sherman Height’s Community Center through Nov. 2.
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50th Anniversary Celebration for The San Diego LGBTQ Center
The San Diego LGBTQ Community Center is 50 years old! The Center has transformed over five decades from a single answering machine in a utility closet to one of the most vibrant and largest LGBTQ community centers in the nation. It is a critical resource for our region providing community programs and services our LGBTQ+ community depends on.
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Join a City Board or Commission!
Serving on one of the City of San Diego’s boards and commissions provides the opportunity to make a positive impact on our community.
These entities serve in a fiduciary, regulatory, policy-setting and/or advisory capacity, and those who step up to volunteer on them often find it a highly rewarding experience.
There are currently hundreds of opportunities to serve on a City board or commission, including serving on the Housing Commission, which advises the Commissioners of the Housing Authority on matters relating to the leasing of the Housing Act of 1937.
This board helps investigate and improve living conditions in the City of San Diego by working with the Housing Authority.
Apply today!
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Weigh in on Future Development in Hillcrest
The City has released its first draft of the Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment, and we’re now seeking your input.
A Focused Plan Amendment is a specific change or adjustment being made to a comprehensive land-use plan that is narrowly tailored to address a particular issue or development proposal without requiring a full-scale revision of the entire plan.
The Focused Plan Amendment amends the Uptown Community Plan. It seeks to further celebrate the LGBTQ+ history and culture of Hillcrest, while also providing new policy and regulations that will guide land use, mobility, urban design, public facilities and services, natural resources, historic and cultural resources and economic development. A summary of the amendments and more information on the amendment can be found on PlanHillcrest.org.
Please share any feedback by emailing comments to [email protected] by Nov. 17.
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New Funding Opportunity for Local Artists and Nonprofits
The City of San Diego launched a new opportunity for local artists and organizations to create change-making projects that reflect local communities through a new funding program called “Impact.”
Impact aims to help create a more equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by bringing resources to every neighborhood, recognizing the historical underinvestment in some areas of the City.
Guidelines for the pilot funding opportunity are available on the City’s Arts and Culture webpage. The deadline to apply is 8 a.m. on Nov. 13.
Read more on Inside San Diego.
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City of San Diego Solicits Feedback on How to Improve Digital Customer Service
The City of San Diego wants to hear from residents about its plan to improve the digital customer experience. Over the next six weeks, staff from the City’s Performance and Analytics Department will attend various community meetings to share its Digital Customer Experience Strategy (DCX).
A first-of-its-kind strategy, the DCX identifies gaps in how the City of San Diego currently serves people, suggests tangible ways to improve, and provides long-term recommendations to meet -- and ultimately exceed -- customer expectations.
Customer service is a key operating principle of the City’s Strategic Plan that aims to value residents, customers and employees by designing solutions and services that put people first. In addition to attending a DCX information session, people are encouraged to fill out the online survey in English or Spanish.
Informational presentations will be on the agenda at the following community meetings:
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023
Information sessions will also be hosted on:
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023
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Council District 5 DCX Information Session, 6 p.m. at Ed Brown Center, 18402 W Bernardo Dr, San Diego, CA 92127.
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023
- Citywide Digital Information Session, 6 p.m. on Zoom.
To learn more, visit the City’s website at www.sandiego.gov/digitalcx.
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Volunteer Crisis Interventionists Needed
The San Diego Police Department Crisis Intervention program is looking for volunteers to assist fellow San Diego residents during traumatic times in their lives. The Program was developed 30 years ago to provide short-term emotional and logistical support to individuals in the City of San Diego who've experienced traumatic events such as suicide, homicide, overdose death, or other serious life-altering incidents.
No experience is needed! All you need is a desire to help others. A comprehensive 100-hour training course will provide you with the skills needed to perform this valuable and rewarding service. Classes will be held on 1/20/24, 1/27/24, 2/10/24, 2/17/24, 2/24/24 & 3/2/24.
After that, there is a 20-hour-per-month "On-Call" commitment plus a short monthly meeting. If you're interested in discovering more, please join the San Diego Police Department for an Information Meeting on October 19th at 6:00 p.m. or October 21st at 10:00 a.m. at San Diego Police Headquarters at 1401 Broadway in Downtown San Diego.
Questions? Contact Officer Iversen at 619-446-1017 or to find out more about what Crisis Interventionists do here.
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Professional Clothing to Help Women Veterans’ Next Careers
Operation Dress Code is an annual event that empowers women to take make strides in their post-military careers.
The City is hosting is an Operation Dress Code donation box for gently used career wear. Located on the ground floor lobby of City Hall at 202 C Street in Downtown San Diego, we’re collecting new and slightly used business attire, shoes, purses, and accessories so active-duty women and female veterans can attend a pop-up boutique day where they will “shop” for new wardrobes
The one-day event also has resources and breakout sessions to help with federal and state benefits, life coaching, resumes, professional headshots. New this year is a career fair for women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The event is free for women in the military to attend.
The clothing drive is happening now through Oct. 20th and the event is on Nov. 5th.
For information about Operation Dress Code, how to donate clothing at other sites, to attend and/or volunteer, please go to www.operationdresscode.org.
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Fair Housing Basics
Join the Legal Aid Society of San Diego for a free webinar on your rights and responsibilities under anti-discrimination laws. This training is open for housing providers, tenants, and others interested in an overview of fair housing laws.
The webinar is happening at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.
Register here.
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SDPD Women’s Hiring Expo
The San Diego Police Department’s Women’s Hiring Expo is returning for its third year on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 8 a.m. to noon!
Get an inside look at what it takes to be a police officer, participate in role-playing scenarios, and hear from officers who were hired after attending past hiring expos. Register for this free event today.
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Compost, Mulch & Wood Chips Workshop
Join a workshop at Tecolote Nature Center to learn how your home’s organic waste is processed into compost at the City’s Miramar Greenery composting facility.
From 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, you’re invited to come learn about the benefits of applying compost, mulch and wood chips to your garden, landscape or farm. FREE compost samples will be provided to attendees.
Register here.
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Give the City Feedback On How to Prioritize Projects
Calling all San Diegans! How would you like to invest $135 million to address priority needs in your community over the next five years? A survey is now available to share your insights.
Every five years, the City creates the "Consolidated Plan" to document to identify community needs and priorities. We need your help determining how best to spend federal funds to invest in San Diego communities. We can prioritize key areas such as affordable housing, community services, sustainability, homeless shelters, job opportunities, etc.
To share insights into your community's needs and priorities, please take the survey here. Get more information on the Consolidated plan process here.
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Hourly Minimum Wage Increase
Many San Diegans will soon see an increase in their pay when the City’s minimum wage goes up to $16.85 Effective Jan. 1, 2024.
The minimum wage increase is applicable to all industries and businesses, with no exceptions, and tips and gratuities do not count toward payment of minimum wage.
Mayor Gloria authored the City’s Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance when he was a Councilmember. Read more.
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City Offers Free Disposal of Unwanted Mattresses and Box Springs
Disposing of unwanted mattresses and box springs is now as easy as 1-2-3, and it’s free!
As part of the City of San Diego’s participation in the Mattress Recycling Council’s (MRC) Bye Bye Mattress program, San Diegans can drop off mattresses and box springs at the City’s new collection site, located on the east side of the entrance to the Miramar Landfill on Convoy Street.
Learn more about mattress recycling on Inside San Diego.
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Call to San Diego Community: Your Story Here
If you have an update for your community that you would like to be considered for this newsletter, email [email protected] or text 619-800-0717.
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Office of the Mayor
202 C St., 11th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
619-236-6330
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