What Mayor Todd Gloria’s administration has done to create a better San Diego for all of us

Housing

• Fast-tracked 100% affordable home projects through a streamlined, 30-day permitting process, which has already resulted in over 600 homes being permitted and over 1,200 in the pipeline
• Created the innovative Bridge to Home initiative to provide the essential gap-financing assistance that helps affordable housing builders get their projects across the finish line. Invested $48 million directly into 11 projects in Rounds 1 and 2 – funding nearly 937 affordable homes – and launched Round 3 in 2023
• Negotiated and signed an exclusive negotiating agreement with Midway Rising to redevelop the sports arena property to create 4,000 housing units and a new world-class entertainment venue
• Awarded $11.83 million from Governor Gavin Newsom’s Project Homekey program to help finance the development of 40 new homes for San Diegans experiencing chronic homelessness
• Earned the City of San Diego a “prohousing designation” from the state and was one of the first cities in California to achieve the designation
• Secured approval for the City’s housing plan and received full certification from the state Department of Housing and Community Development
• Secured approval for the Barrio Logan Community Plan Update, which increased capacity by 1,300 homes
• Secured approval for the Mira Mesa Community Plan Update, which increased housing capacity by 24,000 homes
• Created the Homes for All of Us initiative and passed Housing Action Package 1.0, which includes new programs and code revisions to incentivize construction of new homes at all income levels and includes the implementation of Senate Bill 9
• Implemented Short Term Vacation Rental regulations, permit process and enforcement
• Launched Development Services Department (DSD) organizational effectiveness and comprehensive fee studies to eliminate permitting inefficiencies and streamline fees
• Secured approval for the annual land development code updates to streamline the Municipal Code and cut red tape so homes can be built faster
• Introduced more self-certification opportunities for solar panels, kitchen/bath remodels, and commercial tenant improvements
• Advocated for the continued elimination of costly parking minimums within transit priority areas — places with convenient access to public transit — effectively driving the development of more affordable, accessible and inclusive housing
• Created a middle-income housing working group consisting of 23 representatives from developers, financial institutions, building trades, think tanks and affordable housing advocates to prepare policy and financing recommendations to spur more middle-income housing

Homelessness

• Created the Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department
• Opened a diverse array of new shelters, adding hundreds of new beds, both congregate and non-congregate, serving seniors, women, families, LGBTQ+ youth and people struggling with addiction and other behavioral health issues
• Negotiated and passed the Tenant Protections Ordinance in partnership with Council President Sean Elo-Rivera to provide additional protections to renters facing no-fault evictions and to help keep people housed
• Distributed more than $200 million in rent relief and $5 million in legal aid assistance for renters
• Secured passage of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance in partnership with City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn and banned unsanitary tent encampments citywide
• Launched and then expanded the person-centered Coordinated Street Outreach Program, which deploys outreach workers in all areas of the City who build trust with unsheltered residents to persuade them to accept shelter and services
• Expanded the Safe Parking Program, first by making one of the three existing sites operational for 24 hours a day, and then by opening a fourth lot that includes 12 camper trailers for families experiencing homelessness
• Created a comprehensive shelter strategy that includes an analysis of current shelter options and potential locations for expanding shelter opportunities over the short, medium and long terms
• Opened the first Safe Sleeping site at the City Operations Yard at 20th and B streets, creating space for 136 City-provided tents for individuals and couples experiencing homelessness
• Strengthened the City’s capacity to prevent and end homelessness by commissioning a comprehensive report on homelessness by Matthew Doherty, the former executive director for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, that included key insights, findings and recommendations
• Helped launch the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “House America” initiative by becoming an inaugural member of the federal government’s direct response to the homelessness crisis

Public Safety

• Directed our San Diego Police Department to focus on and help address the illicit fentanyl crisis, in the hopes of stemming the addiction and overdoses that claimed the lives of too many San Diegans
• Secured passage and implementation of the Privacy Ordinance, which created rules that safeguard privacy rights for residents while maintaining the City’s ability to use technology in daily operations.
• Seated a Privacy Advisory Board to serve as an advisory body to the Mayor and Council on policies and issues related to privacy and surveillance, and provide advice intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and public deliberation in the City’s acquisition and use of surveillance technology
• Made San Diego safer by securing approval of the use of Smart Streetlights and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technologies to investigate and solve crimes. The combined Smart Streetlight cameras and ALPR technologies in an initial 500 locations citywide included details regarding access, data storage and retention, the release of data and information collected, and more, as required by the Privacy Ordinance
• Banned ghost guns in the City of San Diego through an ordinance authored by City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert to help address increasing gun violence and the rapid proliferation of non-serialized, unfinished frames and receivers, and non-serialized firearms
• Enhanced transparency about the types of military-grade equipment procured and used by the San Diego Police Department
• Refined hiring practices to ensure we attract police candidates free of misconduct, racial bias, excessive force, or discrimination
• Eliminated existing gang injunctions, which do not address the root cause of crime and violence, but rather serve as a barrier to reform and hamper the ability for those listed in the injunction to achieve their full potential
• Secured adoption of a new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Contract by partnering with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and awarding Falck a five-year contract through a competitive bid process with the City of San Diego to provide compassionate, high-quality emergency care to residents and visitors alike
• Continue to advocate against gun violence and for sensible gun safety reforms by officially joining the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition
• Secured a $3.65 million California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant to implement the Peacemaker Project, a program that aims to interrupt cycles of violence among youth
• Broke ground on the nation’s first-ever childcare center customized to meet the needs of law enforcement by providing better childcare options customized to meet the needs of law enforcement officers who often work uncommon shifts
• Unveiled "No Shots Fired,” a new pilot program designed to prevent gun violence by providing outreach and services to known gang members using people with lived experience (reformed gang members) to work with active gang members who are most prone to perpetrate violence
• Implemented equitable changes to police practices in the City of San Diego by reforming the San Diego Police Department’s consent search procedures, which govern how police officers can conduct a search of a person or property
• Banned the sale of specified flavored tobacco products in the City of San Diego by signing an ordinance authored by City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert

Infrastructure and Mobility

• Significantly increased our investment in city streets through consistent, strategic investments with a focus on repairing San Diego’s most important, high-volume roadways
• Developed the Parks for All of Us initiative and adopted a new Parks Master Plan designed to be a more equitable long-term planning strategy for park development in the City of San Diego
• Created Blueprint SD, a proactive effort to create a more equitable and sustainable framework for growth using the best available data to identify areas for more homes and jobs that are connected to convenient and affordable options to walk, bike, and ride transit to meet daily needs
• Created and implemented Build Better SD, a package of reforms to how the City collects and allocates development impact fees by moving away from fees being locked into specific community plan areas and tied to outdated investment plans, shifting instead to Citywide fee collection that results in funding for neighborhoods that need it most
• Created the “Sexy Streets” initiative, which set aside $40 million of road repairs targeting 54 miles of both the highest trafficked corridors and some of the longest neglected streets in each Council District
• Helped improve the condition of City streets by overhauling the City’s Street Preservation Ordinance to require timely and complete restoration of all excavation trenching and other activity in the public right of way, as well as full cost recovery for long-term impacts
• Delivered on commitment to investing in San Diego’s aging infrastructure by passing the largest-ever Capital Improvements Project budget in City history for fiscal year 2023
• Reformed the City’s Capital Improvements Program by ensuring a more equitable and efficient delivery of new and improved infrastructure projects to every neighborhood across San Diego
• Improved the City’s outreach and engagement with communities to gather information about infrastructure needs
• Streamlined the contracting process for Capital Improvement Projects to reduce delays and deliver projects to San Diegans more efficiently
• Reformed the Capital Improvement Projects process to ensure full transparency and accountability
• Overhauled and relaunched the City’s Shared Mobility Device Program through a competitive bidding process, including strengthened provisions to prevent sidewalk riding and other hazards
• Created more City parks by updating the Joint Use Agreement with San Diego Unified School District for development and maintenance of more joint-use parks at local school campuses
• Successfully advocated for and helped launched the Youth Opportunity Bus Pass Pilot program, which provides free bus passes for youth under age 18, in partnership with SANDAG and SDMTS
• Broke ground on the Pershing Bikeway Project in partnership with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
• Secured $225 million WIFIA loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to upgrade the City’s aging stormwater infrastructure
• Broke ground on a first-of-its-kind water purification project, Pure Water, which will provide a drought-proof source of up to 50% of the City’s water needs
• Launched a new Beach Bug Shuttle Program to serve Pacific Beach and improve access to the beach communities from the new Blue Line trolley extension
• Opened a new Downtown pedestrian promenade by completing phase 1 of the Gaslamp Promenade project and putting up bollards that close roads to cars during certain times of the day

Business and Economic Development

• Created the Civic Center Revitalization Committee and launched the bidding process to redevelop five City-owned blocks in into a more dynamic Civic Core that includes housing, office space, entertainment venues, open space and other amenities
• Negotiated a better deal for San Diegans with new gas and electric franchise agreements with SDG&E
• Broadened the City’s funding and engagement with diverse arts organizations across San Diego
• Drafted and implemented the City’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance to govern mobile vending, which a 2018 state law required all California cities to allow
• Eliminated minimum parking requirements for many businesses in Transit Priority Areas (TPAs) and commercial neighborhoods citywide, allowing businesses to put unnecessary parking to use for other purposes, such as outdoor dining or creating outdoor spaces
• Protected restaurants impacted by the pandemic by establishing a Delivery Fee Cap on third-party delivery services via Executive Order
• Helped San Diego get back on track and back to work after the pandemic by developing and implementing the Back to Work SD plan to provide $10 million to support businesses and nonprofits hardest hit
• Created more opportunities for permanent outdoor dining with Spaces as Places, a comprehensive program that allows permanent outdoor dining and other community gathering spaces within areas of the public right of way
• Negotiated and completed lease for the redevelopment of Horton Plaza Park into a recreational and entertainment space while maintaining public access restrooms
• Crafted a deal to activate the underutilized parking lot next to the Padres ballpark in Downtown San Diego with a new mixed-use project that includes housing, office, retail, research and development, parking, and open public space right in the heart of East Village’s Ballpark District
• Developed and secured passage of annual City budgets that reflect our priorities and commitment to enhancing the well-being of our community by focusing funding on key areas such as infrastructure, public safety, housing, and homelessness, while also aiming to be a better and more equitable San Diego for everyone
• Secured approval to transform the Valencia Business Park into a renewable energy campus for sustainable energy businesses and organizations
• Improved transparency and broadened community representation on the City’s Community Planning Groups
• Secured passage of Measure C to end the moratorium on buildings taller than 30 feet in the Midway District
• Secured approval of removing the no-football restriction from the City’s stadium contract with the San Diego Padres so Holiday Bowl could relocate to Petco Park and offer a unique guest experience for attendees
• Launched an updated Strategic Plan outlining the changes the City should help make in the lives of individuals, families, organizations and communities in San Diego
• Established an operating fee that directly funds the enforcement activities of the Cannabis Business Division and helps provide sufficient resources to continue improving the quality of the mandated regulatory review process for the City’s Cannabis Program
• Secured approval to install at least 50 interactive, digital kiosks designed to help visitors and residents navigate Downtown, enhancing the urban experience for everyone
• Helped fix the City’s shared scooter and bike problems by implementing new scooter regulations and enforcing the regulations that already existed
• Helped San Diego recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by allocating $10 million in COVID relief to local small businesses
• Supported the successful effort to get the San Diego-Tijuana region named the World Design Capital (WDC) for 2024
• Partnered with the San Diego Police Department and launched a series of public surveys designed to gauge local citizens' levels of trust in the police and general attitudes toward public-safety issues
• Negotiated and implemented a new lease with Balboa Park’s Mingei International Museum enabling expanded access to the public through a reimagining of their ground-floor level and the opening of the Artifact Restaurant, which adds to the culinary options in Balboa Park, and has since been included in the prestigious Michelin Guide.
• Secured approval of a new 99-year lease with the San Diego Unified School District, preserving San Diego High School, which has served students at its current site since 1882
• Initiated the City of San Diego’s first ever cultural plan, The Creative City, which will work to make arts and culture more equitable and accessible for all San Diegans
• Developed and passed the Economic Development Strategy, which lays the foundation for sustained economic stability for the City of San Diego, helping position our region as a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and equity-centered change
• Named Jason Magabo Perez as San Diego’s Poet Laureate for 2022-2024 to serve as an Citywide ambassador and advocate for poetry, spoken word and the literary arts

Climate Action and Sustainability

• Adopted major updates to the City’s Climate Action Plan, committing to achieving net zero emissions by 2035 – one of the most ambitious goals in the nation
• Helped launch San Diego Community Power (SDCP), a community choice energy service that purchases wholesale clean electricity on behalf of customers in the City of San Diego
• Immediately implemented several sustainability requirements for new developments by securing adoption of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) Consistency Regulations
• Completed the City’s first comprehensive planning tool that will help the City ensure the full implementation of the ambitious climate measures laid out in San Diego’s landmark 2022 Climate Action Plan (CAP)
• Created and secured adoption of Climate Resilient SD, which will increase every neighborhood’s ability to adapt, recover and thrive in a changing climate
• Hosted the first North American City Sprint in partnership with World Economic Forum, focused on developing strategies to decarbonize the built environment
• Adopted a Municipal Energy Implementation Plan and secured partnerships with Energy Services Companies to retrofit City facilities, making them more sustainable as part of the Climate Action Plan
• Funded and began construction of eight microgrid projects at City facilities, creating standalone power grids that make them more sustainable and allow a facility or set of connected facilities to “island” or isolate from the grid and continue to operate during grid outages
• Initiated a Public Power Feasibility Study to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of the City procuring electricity on behalf of, and develop renewable energy resources to serve San Diegans
• Launched and completed the rollout of organic waste recycling services Citywide to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rotting food waste at City landfills
• Adopted Zero Emissions Municipal Building and Operations Policy (ZEMBOP), requiring all new or retrofitted City facilities to achieve zero emissions
• Helped secure passage of Measure B, also known as the People’s Ordinance, which allows greater flexibility and equity in waste and recycling services
• Amended Franchise Agreements with private waste haulers to continue progress on waste diversion and implement required organic waste recycling
• Secured the readoption of the Polystyrene and Single Use Plastics Ordinance to phase out unsustainable packaging materials after industry litigation
• Transitioned all City facilities to 100% renewable electricity through San Diego Community Power’s Power 100 rate
• Hired the City’s first Chief Sustainability Officer and the City’s first Chief Resilience Officer to help lead the implementation of the City’s ambitious Climate Action Plan and deliver on the goal of net-zero emissions by 2035
• Adopted amendments to the City’s investment policy to divest current reserves in fossil fuel companies in alignment with State and local climate goals

Equity

• Created the Office of Race and Equity to address all forms of disparities experienced by individuals in San Diego and to intentionally create a culture of inclusivity by advancing equitable outcomes; dismantling policies, procedures and budget decisions that perpetuate inequity and systemic racism
• Launched Blueprint SD, a proactive effort to create an equitable and sustainable framework for growth to support current and future San Diegans using the best available data to identify areas for more homes and jobs that are connected to convenient and affordable options to walk, bike, and ride transit to meet daily needs
• Secured adoption of policy updates to ensure infrastructure is constructed to best meet people’s needs and improves their lives and also works to get more people involved and engaged in helping the City learn about infrastructure priorities and equitably prioritize projects
• Created the Budget Equity Framework to deploy an equity lens when evaluating City budgets and budget adjustment requests
• Funded the City’s first Cannabis Equity assessment, which paved the way for a cannabis equity program to ensure that the City is actively working toward ridding the local cannabis industry of institutional racism and systemic disparities
• Helped secure a State grant for more than $880,000 to support residents seeking to enter the legal cannabis industry in San Diego through funding to cover permit and license fees and associated start-up property costs while providing access to the cannabis industry workforce
• Took action to close the digital divide by launching a major expansion of the SD Access 4 All program with free Wi-Fi at over 300 new locations
• Created Summer for All of Us, an initiative that invested in workforce development, library programs and youth programming in underserved areas throughout San Diego
• Actively addressing environmental justice and social equity through a new Climate Equity Fund, which has allocated $25 million to fund climate justice and resilience projects in Communities of Concern thus far
• Commissioned a disparity study to assess whether minority-, woman- and disabled veteran-owned businesses face any barriers as part of the City of San Diego’s contracting processes, then implemented recommendations and changes based on the data to ensure equity when doing business with the City of San Diego
• Established the City of San Diego’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to advance immigrant rights and craft policies and services to support immigrant families in San Diego

Supporting Working Families

• Established the Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement to uphold health and safety labor standards, effectively enforce labor laws and protect workers by combining the oversight of the minimum wage and Earned Sick Days, prevailing wage, living wage and Labor Compliance programs
• Implemented the court-mandated unwinding of Prop B, managing the complex reintegration of employees into the City’s pension system and ensuring the City remains competitive with other government agencies for whom we compete on hiring
• Signed a package of resolutions, championed by City Councilmember Raul Campillo, that dramatically expand parental leave benefits for City employees, helping to attract and retain a first-class City workforce that can provide San Diegans with the level and quality of services they deserve
• Launched a pilot program that will subsidize some costs for workers with children 12 and under
• Launched and secured permanent funding for a new youth workforce training program called Employ & Empower, which is specifically aimed at providing paid internships and job training opportunities with the City of San Diego to local youth
• Supported the repeal of the project labor agreement ban, ensuring the City could maintain access to hundreds of millions of state and federal dollars at stake because of the ban
• Commenced work to negotiate a Citywide Project Labor Agreement for construction projects to help projects get built on time and under budget, by requiring contractors to use mostly trained union workers
• Adopted Contractor and Subcontractor Transparency Ordinance for building and right-of-way permits to provide transparency and accountability to the public and ensure that labor standards are upheld citywide
• Adopted a citywide Compensation Philosophy to support the City’s efforts to attract and retain highly qualified and high-performing employees with competitive, sustainable and responsible compensation
• Passed a worker recall and retention policy to protect workers in industries heavily impacted by the pandemic as they returned to work.
• Amended the Petco Park Joint Use Management Agreement to allow football games at the facility, enabling the Holiday Bowl to relocate to Petco Park and offer a unique guest experience for attendees
• Adopted Vaccine Mandate for City employees during COVID, leading to more than 91% of employees being protected from the potentially deadly virus
• Negotiated compensation increases to help recruit and retain frontline city employees to improve the speed and quality of services for residents