OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting Summary – May 14, 2026

Land Use & Housing Committee — Thursday, May 14, 2026
BodySan Diego, California
SessionLand Use & Housing Committee
DateThursday, May 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 51:40
Transcript — Verbatim
5:12

Good afternoon.

5:13

Welcome to the Land Use and Housing Committee meeting of May 14th, 2026.

5:16

Our committee liaison Natalie Kessler will go over instructions for today's meeting.

5:21

Thank you, Chair.

5:22

Well, members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person.

5:24

This meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform.

5:32

Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes.

5:38

The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first.

5:44

This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business.

5:50

We appreciate the public's cooperation.

5:53

Chair?

5:53

We'll call the Lane News and Housing Committee meeting of Thursday, May 14th, 2026 to order.

5:58

Uh Natalie, please call the role.

5:59

Vice Chair Ila Rivera.

6:01

Councilmember Whitburn.

6:02

Here.

6:03

Council of Moreno.

6:05

Present.

6:05

And Chair, Council President Pro Tem Lee.

6:07

Here.

6:08

Also attending the meeting today, Chris Ackermann Avalou with Mayor Todd Gloria's office, Deputy City Attorney Noah Brazier with the City Attorney's Office.

6:15

Amy Lee with the independent budget analysts office, and Natalie Tapachba Sandoval, committee consultant.

6:20

If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it on top of the box indicated at the front of the room next to the public comment microphone.

6:27

Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management.

6:31

In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins.

6:34

Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage to join the Zoom webinar by phone.

6:43

Please dial 1669-2545252.

6:46

The webinar ID is 161-795-1933 pound.

6:51

This information is also available on the agenda.

6:53

Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay.

6:57

So please participate via the audio on your phone and meet your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak.

7:02

If you wish to speak on a particular item, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon.

7:08

Or if you're a calling participant, press star nine on your phone.

7:10

If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered.

7:14

Chair.

7:16

Thank you, Natalie, for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public.

7:19

A quorum is now present.

7:21

Um I do want to note that I'm really pleased today to have uh one of our employee and empower interns, uh, Natalie here as our committee consultant.

7:28

Uh it's important to us that we make sure our interns get the most out of their experience.

7:31

Um, Natalie's a student at USD.

7:33

And I want to thank her for stepping in um to support the committee today.

7:37

So with that said, uh, we will now take up non-agenda public comment.

7:41

The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings.

7:48

Natalie, please proceed with uh non-agenda public comment.

7:54

Is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but within the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee.

8:00

Each speaker will have two minutes, and we have received two speaker slips from two individuals here in the committee room.

8:06

Melanie Mendoza Gasca, if you could please approach the lectern.

8:09

You'll be followed followed by Carlos Donato, and then we will move to our virtual queue, and there are currently three hands raised in the virtual queue.

8:19

Okay.

8:20

Hi, everyone.

8:21

Um, my name is Melanie Mendoza Gasca, and I'm here on behalf of the Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment, a collaboration between St.

8:30

San Diego and SDSU.

8:32

I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today to provide insight into second-hand smoke, um, intrusion inside our homes.

8:40

In 1964, the Gen General emphasized that no amount of secondhand smoke is safe.

8:47

This possess serious health risks to non-smokers as well as immune compromised folk.

8:53

That includes short exposure of inhaling smoke free, like when you open your window and someone's smoking outside.

9:06

From the moment I arrive home, I'm surrounded by the smell of smoke.

9:09

And I can't stop thinking about what the exposure means to the new morning baby that's living underneath me.

9:16

People are exposed to dozens of known carcinogens and irritants through smoke infiltration.

9:21

Without education and enforcement, our children and elders are can will continue to be unsafe in their homes and the one place they're supposed to be at peace.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Miscellaneous█████████████████████████████████████████████52%
Affordable Housing██████████████████████████████████████████48%
Summary of Proceedings

Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting Summary – May 14, 2026

The Land Use and Housing Committee of the San Diego City Council met on May 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The meeting included non-agenda public comment, approval of a consent agenda, and a discussion item on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Affordable Housing Fund Annual Plan. All votes were unanimous (4-0). The next regularly scheduled meeting is on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 1: Approval of the committee minutes from March 5, 2026.
  • Item 2: Authorization to grant an easement to San Diego Gas and Electric on city-owned property for Circuit 157 along Lions Valley Road, Barrett Lake Road, and Sky Valley Road.
  • Both items were approved unanimously (4-0) with a motion by Councilmember Whitburn and a second by Chair Lee.

Public Comments & Testimony

Non-Agenda Public Comment:

  • Melanie Mendoza Gasca (Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment, collaboration between UCSD and SDSU) spoke about secondhand and thirdhand smoke intrusion in multi-unit housing, citing health risks and advocating for a comprehensive smoke-free policy.
  • Carlos Donato (Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment) reinforced the dangers of secondhand and thirdhand smoke, especially for children and vulnerable populations, and requested a comprehensive smoke-free multi-unit housing policy. He provided handouts to committee members.
  • Becky Rapp expressed concern about the cost of drug use and addiction to the city, urging a recovery-based model for subsidized housing and better access to detox services.
  • Terry Ann Skelly advocated for a ban on smoking and vaping in public places to protect public lands, waterways, and children from secondhand smoke and litter.
  • Judy String (and a speaker named Joy Sonyata) emphasized the importance of core city services and clean air, supporting smoke-free policies.
  • Madison (public health advocate and parent) urged the committee to prioritize smoke-free multi-unit housing as an equity issue, noting that tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death.
  • Kathleen Lippett discussed AB 455 classifying thirdhand smoke as an environmental hazard and criticized the influence of the marijuana industry on policy.
  • Blair Beekman addressed deaths in San Diego County jails (about nine per year) and urged improved practices, referencing Oakland's approach to data collection and community involvement.

Consent Agenda Public Comment:

  • One speaker (Blair Beekman) commented on the meeting minutes, praising coastal discussions and sea-level rise communication.

Item 3 Public Comment:

  • Joy Sonyata (virtual) supported the annual plan, asked for more detail on the 30,706 homeless assisted number, requested unit cost data, and questioned admin cost increases.
  • Blair Beekman (virtual) expressed general support for truly affordable housing efforts.

Discussion Items

Item 3: Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund Annual Plan

  • Presenters: Chriselle Van Der Walt (Vice President of Financial Services, San Diego Housing Commission) and Matt Higgins (Principal Budget and Report Analyst). They outlined the fund's composition (Housing Trust Fund and Inclusionary Housing Fund), revenue history, and proposed allocations. Since inception, the fund has assisted with creation/preservation of over 10,100 affordable housing units, assisted over 31,000 homeless individuals, and helped over 410 first-time homebuyers.
  • Proposed Allocations (FY27): $39 million total from an estimated $37.1 million fund balance and $5.4 million in new revenues. Breakdown: $22.4 million for prior year commitments (NOFAs and ADU loans), $9 million for a new NOFA (total $22 million with other sources), $5.8 million for homelessness programs (landlord engagement, prevention/diversion, transitional housing grants), and the remainder for capacity building, administration, and legal fees. 78% of funds go to rental housing finance.
  • IBA Comments (Amy Lee): Noted a slight revenue increase ($0.3 million); $150,000 allocated for transitional housing grants (reduction of $207,000) due to federal funding shifts; rapid rehousing and flexible spending programs ramped down; Landlord Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP) increased by $497,000 (22%). The IBA suggested revisiting the transitional housing set-aside in future years.
  • Committee Discussion: Councilmember Whitburn requested future reports include prior-year comparisons; staff agreed. Staff clarified that a reduction in transitional housing grants does not result in a loss of beds—those beds will be offered as emergency shelter beds instead. The prevention and diversion line item will be separated in FY27 for better tracking. Councilmember Whitburn made a motion to approve staff recommendations, seconded by Chair Lee.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda approved unanimously (4-0).
  • Item 3 (Affordable Housing Fund Annual Plan) recommended for council approval unanimously (4-0). The committee will forward the recommendation to the full City Council.
  • The committee will continue to refine reporting and tracking of homelessness program allocations.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. Welcome to the Land Use and Housing Committee meeting of May 14th, 2026. Our committee liaison Natalie Kessler will go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair. Well, members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person. This meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair? We'll call the Lane News and Housing Committee meeting of Thursday, May 14th, 2026 to order. Uh Natalie, please call the role. Vice Chair Ila Rivera. Councilmember Whitburn. Here. Council of Moreno. Present. And Chair, Council President Pro Tem Lee. Here. Also attending the meeting today, Chris Ackermann Avalou with Mayor Todd Gloria's office, Deputy City Attorney Noah Brazier with the City Attorney's Office. Amy Lee with the independent budget analysts office, and Natalie Tapachba Sandoval, committee consultant. If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it on top of the box indicated at the front of the room next to the public comment microphone. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage to join the Zoom webinar by phone. Please dial 1669-2545252. The webinar ID is 161-795-1933 pound. This information is also available on the agenda. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. So please participate via the audio on your phone and meet your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular item, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon. Or if you're a calling participant, press star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Natalie, for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is now present. Um I do want to note that I'm really pleased today to have uh one of our employee and empower interns, uh, Natalie here as our committee consultant. Uh it's important to us that we make sure our interns get the most out of their experience. Um, Natalie's a student at USD. And I want to thank her for stepping in um to support the committee today. So with that said, uh, we will now take up non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings. Natalie, please proceed with uh non-agenda public comment. Is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but within the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee. Each speaker will have two minutes, and we have received two speaker slips from two individuals here in the committee room. Melanie Mendoza Gasca, if you could please approach the lectern. You'll be followed followed by Carlos Donato, and then we will move to our virtual queue, and there are currently three hands raised in the virtual queue. Okay. Hi, everyone.

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