Lack of affordable housing is a big problem across the state including San Diego. Now, Mayor Kevin Faulconer is pushing a state senate bill to fund building more affordable housing throughout the county.
On Friday, Mayor Faulconer spoke about Senate Bill 5, an affordable housing and Community Development Investment Program.
“It cost too much to live in California and we need reform, radical reform to fix it,” said Faulconer. “In San Diego, nearly 3 out of 4 people can’t afford to buy a home.”
If the Bill is passed, state funding will help build affordable housing and help our most vulnerable residents.
“People are often just one paycheck away, one car repair, one medical emergency away from homelessness,” said Stephan Russell from the San Diego Housing Federation.
SB 5 would commit $200 million annually to local governments starting in 2020. The annual funding would steadily increase with a cap at $2 billion once fully implemented.
The bill is designed to help working families, single parents and help end the homeless crisis across the county.
Local
"Most people who are homeless we never see, they sleep in cars, mothers who are homeless with children, they hide homelessness, so they don't have their children taken away,” said Russell.
If passed it will also create more jobs and meet statewide environmental goals without affecting school funding.
