As we approach the primary and general election for Mayor and the District 3 Council seat, residents of University Heights and other neighborhoods throughout San Diego may be concerned about the increasing proliferation of dense, tall buildings that circumvent approved zoning and community plans. By Kristin Harms, Bill Ellig, and Marc Johnson.

Starting in 2019, both the State of California and the City of San Diego began implementing a variety of laws and building code changes to incentivize the local construction of new homes to meet state requirements for new housing. This post summarizes key legislation at the state and local level.

Like many older neighborhoods throughout San Diego, University Heights is faced with an onslaught of inappropriate development—a culmination of important changes at the City that weakened the influence of the Planning Department and Community Planning Groups, and invalidated approved Community Plans and zoning ordinances.

City and state leaders, and building proponents in San Diego would like the rest of us to think that the flurry of haphazard construction in our older communities is somehow magically producing the affordable housing required by the state of California. However, the actual number of affordable housing construction starts in San Diego belie this fiction.