The San Diego City Council finally adopted a density bonus ordinance this week. SDHF and several other advocacy groups had been encouraging the enactment for many months.  Tom Scott and other housing advocates recommended that the Council adopt the version of the ordinance that eliminated discretionary review to qualify for density bonus projects except in specific circumstances.  It also allowed for the most generous density bonus for moderate income for-sale housing development. Although there were several proposals before Council, the version of the ordinance supported by SDHF was adopted.

 

The purpose is to remove the redevelopment staff from being managed like all other city staff and subject to hiring freezes, bumping due to layoffs in other departments, a lengthy hiring process, non-competitive salaries and a cumbersome contracting and purchasing system. This would allow staff to be more effective at spurring redevelopment in these under-performing areas. This proposal is contrary to a recommendation from the Mayor to retain the current structure, but address the efficiency issues within the current structure.

Tom Scott spoke in favor of the proposal on behalf of the Federation. He also requested that underwriting for all redevelopment-financed affordable housing projects be consolidated in the San Diego Housing Commission. Committee Chair Jim Madaffer hopes to hear this on the December 4, 2008 Agenda of the City Council.

The Jarvis Taxpayers Association and California Farm Bureau are back with an eminent domain initiative for the June '08 ballot that is even WORSE than the one voters defeated last year! They are currently gathering signatures for a measure that will take away eminent domain as a tool, PLUS make rent control and mixed-income (inclusionary) zoning illegal.

 

A key part of DEFEATING this scheme is to qualify a competing measure for the ballot that makes changes to the eminent domain law protecting homeowners, while maintaining eminent domain as a tool. The League of Cities, Housing California, and others are helping Californians for Eminent Domain Reform collect signatures for the Homeowners Protection Act, (HPA) in order to qualify it for the June 2008 ballot.

 

Request your petitions today from Californians for Eminent Domain Reform to qualify this important measure. All petitions with signatures must be returned via US Mail no later than November 20.

The City of San Diego has issued a notice that anyone who is on the wait list for Section 8 housing (aka HUD vouchers) must reapply ONLINE by Friday, November 16 or they will be dropped from the list. There are people who have been on this list for years and are finally near the top, but they will lose their space if they don't reapply soon. This applies only to applicants on the list for housing in the City of San Diego; people on the county list are not affected. The update is needed in order to clear out those who are no longer interested in receiving housing vouchers. 

Leaders are now considering a plan to leave renewable energy out of the Energy Bill moving in Congress by omitting a tax title that extends the Solar Investment Tax Credits (ITC). Let your Represenatives know you support an extension of the 30% residential ITC and want the elimination of the existing $2,000 limit on the 30% residential solar ITC. For more information, click here.