Residents United Network (RUN) San Diego
Building Power Through Lived Experience
We build power among resident leaders and affordable housing staff to change laws so that every Californian has a safe, stable, and affordable home.
Our Mission
"To ensure that the people most impacted by housing policies are the ones leading the conversation in the halls of government."
Who We Are
RUN San Diego is a non-partisan association of affordable housing residents and frontline staff. As the local arm of Housing California’s statewide network, we organize to make sure our voices are just as influential as developers and landlords when housing laws are written.
Our coalition represents:
- ✓ Resident Leaders: Seniors, families, and individuals with lived expertise in affordable housing.
- ✓ Frontline Professionals: Staff who manage and support our housing communities.
- ✓ Policy Advocates: Partners dedicated to systemic housing justice in San Diego.
Leading the Conversation
RUN leaders sharing expertise at the 2025 Housing CA Conference.
Direct Advocacy
Meeting with Assemblymember Christopher Ward.
Legislative Power
Mobilizing for housing justice in Sacramento.
Join the Movement
Connect with us to build power and change housing policy.
*We respect your privacy. No spam, just power building.
2026 Policy Priorities
Our agenda is driven by the lived expertise of our members. We are currently finalizing our 2026 Legislative Slate in partnership with the statewide Housing California network.
Current Strategic Focus:
- • Tenant Protections: Strengthening local and state laws to keep families in their homes and prevent displacement.
- • Empty Homes Tax: Exploring solutions to move vacant units back into the rental market to increase supply.
- • Housing Production: Supporting permanent funding for new, deeply affordable homes for San Diegans.
*Full 2026 Policy Priorities will be announced following our March Kickoff.
Our Accomplishments
As the San Diego chapter of a statewide network, we work alongside Housing California to pass laws that protect our neighbors and fund our communities.
Securing Funding
Propositions 1 & 2: In 2018, RUN led a statewide field campaign to help approve $6 billion for affordable and supportive homes.
SB 2 (Atkins): Achieved a founding goal by passing a permanent state funding source for affordable housing.
Homelessness Services: Secured $1 billion in annual funding for local governments to provide critical services.
Protecting Tenants
Voucher Protections (SB 329 & AB 447): Prohibited discrimination against neighbors using housing vouchers (Section 8).
Third-Party Payments (AB 2219): Made it illegal for landlords to reject rent payments from charities or family members.
#ShelterFromTheRain: RUN members successfully moved the Governor to sign SB 1380, the landmark "Housing First" bill.
*These wins were made possible through the collective power of the statewide RUN network.
Our History
A Legacy of Resident Power
In 2013, the San Diego Housing Federation (SDHF) launched a bold experiment alongside local partners: City Heights CDC, MAAC, and Community HousingWorks. The goal was simple but transformative: to ensure that the people living in affordable housing were the ones leading the fight for its future.
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Our training doesn't just inform; it activates. We provide the tools for residents to shift from being disengaged to being the most influential voices in the room.
Support & Strategy Team
Julieta Michel Ornelas-Morales
Advocacy Program Manager
Julieta leads our RUN and HEAL networks with the conviction that those closest to housing inequities must be the ones shaping the solutions. A San Diego local with deep roots in City Heights and North Park, she believes stable housing is the essential foundation for community health.
Before joining SDHF, Julieta served as an Education Organizer with KIPP SoCal, where she founded their first Family Organizing Committee. Her background in public health—including a B.S. from UC San Diego—informs her understanding of housing as a driver of well-being.
A fluent English and Spanish speaker, Julieta has served on the City Heights Area Planning Committee and is dedicated to building collective leadership across San Diego’s central neighborhoods.
Lacey Gribble
Director of Programs & Operations
Lacey brings a wealth of social justice expertise and operational leadership to SDHF. Her commitment to housing was ignited while interning with Free to Thrive, where she saw how secure, affordable housing is the critical foundation for healing and stability for survivors of human trafficking.
A native San Diegan and first-generation college graduate, Lacey holds a Master’s in Peace and Justice from USD’s Kroc School and a B.A. from UC San Diego. Her background combines over a decade of high-level operations management with a deep focus on workplace culture and survivor empowerment.
Lacey remains rooted in her community in University Heights and North Park, where she is dedicated to building the systems necessary to make housing a human right for every neighbor.