Morning Report: The City Done Building Homes
Over the past six years, Poway has built fewer homes than all but three cities in the county. The city has built just 14.1 homes per 1,000 residents. And that […] The post Morning Report: The City Done Building Homes appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
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Over the past six years, Poway has built fewer homes than all but three cities in the county. The city has built just 14.1 homes per 1,000 residents. And that likely won’t change any time soon.
Poway’s land is almost exclusively zoned for single-family housing – one study put that level at 98 percent of the city, which would be the highest percentage of single-family zoning in the entire county.
City officials disagree with that study’s finding, but don’t disagree they set aside a lot of the city, save for a 2.65 mile stretch of Poway Road, for single-family homes. That zoning map and the city’s comparatively massive lot sizes make it very difficult to build. And officials don’t have any plans to change either.
Another big reason the city’s built so little housing is because they’re prohibited from building on a huge portion of their land – about 53 percent, to be specific — to protect the endangered habitat of the coastal sage scrub, home to at least one federally threatened species of bird.
But even given the sluggish pace of housing construction, the state hasn’t demanded Poway leaders make any big changes – at least not yet.
Bad News: Eradicating Airbnb’s Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis
Will tighter AirBnB regulations save rent-strapped Californians?
As much as many of us would love to kill two birds (that is, disruptive vacation rentals and the housing shortage) with one stone, it won’t be that simple.
In response to last week’s housing coverage, Social Media Reporter Bella Ross took to Reels to break down the state of short-term vacation rentals in San Diego, and why their impacts on the housing shortage may not be as big as you’d think.
In short: Yes, they’re a problem. But we still need to build more homes.
San Diego County Lands on Trump Immigration ‘No-No’ List
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice released a list of 35 municipalities it claims are “sanctuary jurisdictions.” The list included cities, states and four counties. One of them was San Diego County.
As part of the administration’s immigration enforcement onslaught, officials have railed against so-called sanctuary policies. The policies, like California’s statewide law SB 54, generally restrict local law enforcement from participating in immigration raids or cooperating with federal immigration officials.
In the Tuesday statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to bring litigation against municipalities that have enacted such policies, which she claimed “impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design.”
In a statement emailed to KPBS, Attorney General Rob Bonta had some tough words of his own.
“The Trump Administration cannot bully or intimidate state and local law enforcement into doing the federal government’s job for it, as it is attempting to do with the latest iteration of this list,” he wrote.
During the first Trump administration, California’s SB 54 was hit with a legal challenge. But in 2019, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law, writing that it was “consistent with California’s prerogatives under the Tenth Amendment.” That amendment grants states powers not specifically given to the federal government or prohibited.
Song of the Week
Band Argument, “do not”: I’ll never totally understand how Band Argument does it. The band’s general sound – some ineffable brand of fill-in-the-blank prog-rock – isn’t entirely new territory. It’s the approach that feels truly singular.
The group’s music is defined by colorful bursts ecstatic hyperactivity that, somehow, feel coolly measured. It’s jarring and manic, but also welcoming and relaxed. Just listen to the singles “my knight,” or “do not,” from the group’s forthcoming album “if the accidernt will,” to get a little taste of that delectable dichotomy.
Hitting those contrasting and unlikely notes all at once is something of a sonic tightrope act and somehow Band Arg never sounds off balance.
Like what you hear? Check out Band Argument’s album release show at Whistle Stop on Friday, August 8.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists!
In Other News
- A federal judge has approved a major settlement agreement stemming from a 2022 lawsuit alleging none of San Diego County jails are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. As part of the settlement, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to renovate many aspects of their jails and provide access to tools and services required by people with disabilities. (Union-Tribune)
- A group of Pacific Beach residents has sued to stop a 100-unit ADU project in the area. (Union-Tribune)
- Chula Vista is again taking a fight over police drone footage to California’s Supreme Court. (City News Service)
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney and Bella Ross. It was edited by Scott Lewis.
The post Morning Report: The City Done Building Homes appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
