SAN DIEGO — San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signed his Housing Action Package 2.0 into law on Friday at Mission Valley Center after it was approved by the city council.
Mayor Gloria's Housing Action Plan 2.0 is focused on helping create single-room occupancy units for San Diegans experiencing homelessness, advocates said. The city council voted 7-1 to pass the plan back in December.
"The lack of affordable housing is central to many of our city's top challenges, particularly homelessness and sky-high rents," Gloria said in a statement. "This series of reforms will boost the supply of homes and reduce the cost of housing, help our businesses recruit and retain talent and put more hard-earned dollars back into the pockets of everyday San Diegans."
This plan incentivizes building homes on underutilized sites in commercial areas like strip malls. The plan has several different proposals intended to make it easier for developers and contractors to construct housing units in the city.
"HAP 2.0 will also help create jobs," Gloria said in a statement. "When we build more housing, we employ a wide range of skilled professionals including architects, civil engineers, construction workers, carpenters, electricians, landscapers, real estate agents and others who work together to bring construction projects to completion."
The plan has incentives to build more affordable housing for middle-income individuals, students, and people experiencing homelessness. Part of the plan includes ways to convert industrial businesses like scrap yards or recycling facilities into housing.
"The lack of affordable homes in our community is directly connected to every challenge we face -- from homelessness, to cost of living, to job creation and retention," Gloria said. "That's why I have brought forward a second series of policy reforms designed to spur the creation of new housing in order to get people experiencing homelessness off the street, bring down rent costs, and put more money in San Diegans' pockets."
Housing Action Package 2.0, once implemented, would expedite housing construction for seniors, students, middle-income families as well as those who are unsheltered across San Diego.