County Supervisors Hear Report On Housing Development

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a formal report on the future of housing development in the unincorporated region of the county Wednesday, which officials said will provide policy context for upcoming meetings.

According to the Land Use and Environment Group -- a collection of six departments responsible for managing land use and environmental issues -- Wednesday's "Housing Forward" report from the county's Planning & Development Services Department "allowed stakeholders and the board to understand housing trends to date (including) what type of housing (the county) permitted and where it has been built and consider future policy levers that influence housing."

PDS Director Vince Nicoletti said the need for housing in the unincorporated county and region is clear. "The question of where and what kind of housing will have different answers from different groups," he added.

The report said the median home price in San Diego County is $880,000, with the regional median income at $130,800 annually and the average rent at $2,479 per month.

Further, 20% of San Diegans spend half their income on housing, according to the report.

Nearly 10,000 units are considered affordable housing, supporting 20,000 people per year, the report stated.

Barriers to more accessible housing include interest rates, material costs, wildfire risks, lawsuits, affordable housing funding and state laws, the report found.

One staff member said the county has a capacity to develop up to 58,000 units.

David Estrella, Housing and Community Development Services director, said "the county's role in housing is vast" given the various agencies, along with programs such as rental assistance programs and financing.

He also said there a robust housing project pipeline of 33 developments and 2,859 units that are either under construction now or will be in the coming years.

Julie MarLett, a county environmental manager, said accessory dwelling units represented 45% of total housing permits in 2024. She highlighted how the state's vehicle-miles-traveled law has also affected housing project construction.

Signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013, the law requires basing development projects on how many vehicle miles are traveled, instead of traffic congestion.

Supervisors adopted a VMT guide in 2020, but updated it two years later in response to litigation, and next year will look at options to revise the county transportation study guide.

During public comment, supervisors heard from a development advocacy group and those urging smarter, more environmentally friendly growth.

Dan Silver, CEO of the Endangered Habitats League, said the county needs "a different direction, one that re-invigorates the sound village planning envisioned by your General Plan."

Members of the local chapter of the Building Industry Association offered their own plan, called Comprehensive Housing Implementation Plan & Strategy, while praising the county's efforts.

Lori Holt Pfeiler, the group's CEO, said a healthy housing market "represents a diversity of buyers and renters, provides equitable access to different housing opportunities and is inclusive of all communities in the region."

Another BIA official said the U.S. Census Bureau found that over 47,000 workers commute from Riverside County to San Diego, translating into over 1 billion vehicle miles traveled annually.

A former San Diego City Council member said high housing costs also affect residents on the county's southern end. Georgette Gomez of the nonprofit Casa Familiar said the wrong policies have led to over 70,000 people working in San Diego who commute to Mexico, costing them between three to six hours out of their day.

Gomez noted that the official discussion is "about the same solutions," such as housing, in-lieu fees and VMT regulations. She suggested other ideas, such as stabilizing rent or permanent community ownership.

"We need an opportunity to think more creatively and to be able to do things differently," Gomez added.

Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Monica Montgomery Steppe echoed that sentiment. Montgomery Steppe said there are quite a few housing types "that we may be able to fit into our structure."

In many areas, "there's just no public transportation," and county officials need to coordinate with the San Diego Association of Governments to figure out what can be done to increase that or access to it, such as rapid busses, she said.

Aguirre said that unless the county takes action, too many residents will join the nearly 10,000 who are already homeless.

While production is important, "we need to be honest about the reality" of the county's General Plan, Aguirre said. "Fighting these rules won't move us forward, but using them wisely will."

Supervisor Jim Desmond said VMT policy "should be thrown completely out the window," or the county should return to the original policy for unincorporated areas.

Uncertainty over VMT requirements may hamper the projected 58,000 units from becoming a reality, Desmond said. He noted how supervisors recently approved the Harmony Grove development, which is now facing a legal challenge from the Sierra Club over wildfire risk concerns.

"Work with the BIA," said Desmond, who added that people may not like developers, but "they're the ones who build housing."

By KAREN WEIL / City News Service