Affirmatively furthering fair housing is of critical importance in our city. The effects of decades of redlining and zoning that segregated communities are still felt. The city of San Diego continues to take action to overcome these patterns and truly achieve balanced communities. In addition to building new homes, we must also continue to invest in communities that have suffered discrimination. Communities with homes, infrastructure, jobs and access to education and services are communities of opportunity. Affordable housing should be available in all communities, and all communities should be places where people have access to opportunity.
The city has taken action to remove barriers to home development and increase housing capacity in numerous communities, specifically development near transit, jobs, and services, and taking actions to provide more investment in low resource areas. However, more action is needed to fully overcome the effects of decades of policy decisions.
To inform future actions, accurate information about the city’s efforts is needed. The opinion essay “Bonus density programs reinforce historic segregationist patterns” (Jan. 9) included inaccurate information that must be corrected so everyone can fully understand the city’s requirements, and so future actions can be tailored to continue to affirmatively furthering fair housing.
The statement that the city’s home density bonus programs are exempt in higher resource areas and overwhelmingly used in low resource neighborhoods is inaccurate. Density bonus programs are applied in different geographic locations to ensure they are meeting various goals, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions and allowing for more affordable homes citywide. As shown in the Annual Report on Homes, between 2021 and 2024, nearly 50% of the homes permitted through density bonus programs were in high or highest resource areas, while 23% of homes permitted through the use of density bonus programs were in low resource areas.
The opinion piece incorrectly described obligations in the Baker v. City of San Diego settlement, requiring the city to continue to annually monitor its permitting through the Annual Report on Homes — as the city has done for the past eight years. If the 2028 Annual Report does not demonstrate that at least 70% of the permitted affordable housing is located in highest, high and moderate resource areas, then the city must develop an action plan to affirmatively further fair housing to present to the City Council. For context, in 2024, the city permitted 59% of its affordable homes in highest, high and moderate resource areas. The city is currently preparing this action plan to further fair housing and will present options for the city council to consider prior to 2028, regardless of whether or not the settlement trigger actually occurs. This plan will address options for adding more affordable homes in higher resource areas, and opportunities for all communities to be places where people have access to opportunity.
Finally, the opinion asserts that the city concentrates poverty by prioritizing construction of new low-income housing in low resource areas. However, the cited Municipal Code section 143.0720(p) actually provides lower income households the first choice to rent or purchase new affordable homes constructed in their community. This priority preference applies citywide and is intended to ensure new affordable homes benefit existing community members where the homes are being constructed.
To affirmatively further fair housing, we need affordable homes in all communities. However, most affordable homes are provided in multifamily developments, which are not as prevalent in higher resource areas due largely to single-family zoning restrictions. Single-family zones require one to have the financial means to live in a single-family home on a relatively large lot, and if they cannot do that, their only other option is to not live in that neighborhood at all. Additional land zoned for multifamily homes is needed, including in areas that previously excluded multifamily homes that more people can afford. This change is critical to addressing disparities and furthering fair housing through the advancement of anti-racist and economically inclusive zoning actions.
The Neighborhood Homes for All of Us initiative is one of several actions aimed at creating opportunities for more small-scale homes in areas currently zoned for single-family homes, while enhancing San Diego’s unique communities.
Vonblum is director of city planning for the city of San Diego.