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.

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.

San Diego and SDSU.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Additionally, recent research from the third hand smoke research center shows that toxic tobacco residue, third-hand smoke, lingers on the wall and other surfaces.

When secondhand smoke infiltrates other homes, the non-smoker's home is now contaminated with leftover toxic residue.

Sometimes this residue lasts up to 10 years in the walls.

So this is um more this brings more vulnerable exposure to children due to crawling on contaminated floors, touching um contaminated surfaces, and frequently placing their hands near their mouth, ears, or even faces.

Wind currents and proximity means that smoke drifts towards the non-smokers and then it undermines their health and comfort.

Again, there's no amount of secondhand smoke that is safe.

San Diego is marketed as a place where people live well and take pride in clean air, active lifestyle, and environmental management.

A comprehensive smoke-free policy for you.

Okay, thank you.

This does conclude your time.

Carlos.

Perfect.

Uh good afternoon, council members.

Uh, my name is Carlsonato, and similar to my colleague, I'm here on behalf of the Policy Research Center.

Um, uh smoke intrusion from tobacco smoke uh in multi-unity housing is a serious issue that affects the health, comfort, and quality of life of renters and families every single day.

Uh many residents living in apartments or affordable housing cannot simply move away from these conditions, and they should not have to choose between affordable housing and clean air.

Smoke travels through vents, hallways, windows, and even cracks in the walls, making it difficult to avoid exposure inside the homes.

When many people do not realize is that the dangers do not end when the smoke disappears uh from the air, the chemicals left behind turn to what is known third-hand smoke.

Third-hand smoke is the toxic residue from tobacco smoke uh that sticks to surfaces like walls, furniture, carpets, clothing, toys, and even dust particles.

Research conducted by the third hands uh third hand smoke resource center has highlighted how these chemicals can remain in indoor spaces for long periods of time and continue exposing families long after it has stopped.

Newborn infants and toddlers are among the most vulnerable because they crawl on floors, touch uh contaminated surfaces, and frequently put their hands on objects into their mouths.

Repeated exposure has been associated with respiratory problems, asthma symptoms, chronic coughing, reduced lung infections, and other long-term health conditions.

Secondhand and third-hand smoke exposure can also be impacted uh through older adults, individuals with pre-existing health conditions, and residents with respiratory illnesses.

Adopting adopting compensated comprehensive smoke-free multi-unit housing policy can protect renters from involuntarily exposure to secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke.

Everyone deserves the right to breathe the clean air in their homes.

Uh, thank you for the time and for the attention being given to this issue.

We appreciate the opportunity to share our work and to be a resource to the community and to your committee as well.

I have also provided handles for each committee member, and I respectfully request that it be entered in the public record.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This concludes in-person public testimony.

We will now move to the virtual queue.

I've started the five-minute timer for all those listening online to indicate that they have non-agenda public comment.

There are seven hands raised in the queue.

Becky Rapp, please unmute and begin.

Good afternoon.

My name is Becky Rapp, and I want to speak regarding the cost to the city associated with drug use and addiction.

Um, as balancing the budget remains a critical priority, and the city continues to invest tens of millions of dollars into subsidized housing and homelessness programs.

We must also consider the connection between addiction, mental illness, and housing instability, recognizing that housing alone is not treatment.

Many residents are concerned that our current approach places individuals into subsidized housing without requiring sobriety or participation in recovery services.

Families living near supportive housing developments report ongoing drug activity, overdoses, public safety concerns, and behavioral crisis.

These impacts affect surrounding neighborhoods, businesses, and other vulnerable residents living within the house, the housing itself.

So I ask that the city prioritize a recovery-based model that goes along with housing with clear expectations and support for sobriety.

Stable housing can be part of recovery, but it should not ignore active substance abuse that places both the individual and the community at risk.

Right now, many people are seeking treatment and they cannot access detox services because there's not enough beds available.

People battling addiction need a better pathway to recovery, not a system that normalizes ongoing drug dependency without intervention.

Taxpayers are investing substantial public resources into these programs.

We should ensure those investments promote long-term stability, recovery, safety, and healthier communities for everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Terry Ann Skelly.

Please unmute and begin.

Good afternoon, Lannyson Housing Committee Chair Lee.

My name is Terry Ann Skelly.

As the school year ends, and parents turn our attention to summer activities for our children and young adults.

We truly appreciate the many outdoor activities that San Diego presents to us, such as our beaches, parks, trails, lakes, and mountain areas.

And we become aware of one of the greatest damages to our city's public properties, trash, including tobacco and marijuana products, cigarette butts, marijuana butts, vaping debris, and packaging poison our streams, oceans, and marine life, contaminating our beaches and our waterways.

One significant first step in improving San Diego's public lands is banning smoking and vaping in public places.

It is self-enforcing through signage and comprehensive media campaigns.

And it's a win for public health as well, because it diminishes secondhand marijuana and tobacco smoke and vapor in public areas where so many children and youth are present.

This would be a crystal clear message that everyone has a right to clean air and water, and it is a high priority in this city.

Good health and clean public lands isn't something that needs to wait while large financial decisions are being considered.

Financial decisions will always be a part of the county's council's life, excuse me, while protecting our land and citizens' health could be improved rather easily with a public smoking and vaping ban.

Thank you for hearing my concerns this afternoon.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is phone number ending in 870.

Please press star six and begin your comments.

Good afternoon, everyone.

This is important to the LUNH Committee and to all other committees.

Yesterday, the TMD, the tourist marketing district people said something very simple yet very profound.

They said one word over and over again.

The word is storytelling.

They believe in the power of storytelling.

And it is intimately related to vision.

Together, let's follow the TMD in believing in the power of storytelling.

Please consider writing your story, dear public, your vision, dear public for our city.

Thank you, everyone, for your consideration on this thought, this feeling that I have.

And thank you so very much, Council President Pro Chem and Chair Lee for your inspiration.

Love to all.

Have a great day.

Thank you.

The five-minute timer concluded.

We have four hands remaining in the queue.

We will take no additional callers after these four.

Judy String, I've asked you to unmute.

Please unmute and provide your non-agenda public comment.

Good afternoon, land use and housing.

Thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts.

As we attended budget meetings all last week, I was deeply impressed with some of the things that City Council Person Marino said, and I'm glad she's here today, so that I can tell her thank you.

Again, another one of our wonderful city council people who's terming out, whose voice I always listen to.

She kept mentioning that about the services of the city that she felt were important.

She called them core services.

And I've thought about that ever since she said it, because that is what we depend on our city for to do those core services to make sure that we have the core items that we need for good health.

And I bring to your attention that last week was air quality awareness week, and it raises uh our awareness about the importance of clean air and its impact on health.

And you've already heard several speakers mention how important smoke-free living commodities can be, and how important the smoke-free public places can be.

And I'd like to add my voice to that consideration and the concept that these policies are self-enforcing.

What that means is that when you're the person who's impacted by somebody else's smoke, it's easier to stand up for yourself when there's a sign that says this is not allowed.

Much more difficult, even if it's true for the environment you're in to stand up for yourself.

And putting a policy in place does not mean you have to run around with enforcement officers.

It means you need to get signage up there, and then it emboldens the public.

Those of us whose health are impacted by secondhand and third-hand smoke.

We can speak up because the law exists.

It's far more simple than what we're probably you guessed.

Thank you for considering.

Thank you.

Our next speaker in the queue is Madison.

Please unmute and again.

Hi, thank you.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I'm here today as both a public health advocate and a parent to urge you to make smoke-free multi-unit housing a priority in San Diego.

For families like mine who live in apartments, condos, and shared housing, there is often no way to control the air inside our own homes.

Smoke travels through walls, vents, hallways, balconies, and shared spaces.

Children can be exposed while sleeping in their bedrooms or playing in their living rooms.

This is also an equity issue.

People living in poverty are more than twice as likely to smoke, and lower income renters are far more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke because they are more likely to live in multi-unit housing.

Clean indoor air should not be a privilege only available to people who can afford single-family homes.

Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in our country.

Claiming nearly 490,000 lives every year.

And today exposure is no longer limited to traditional cigarettes.

Families are increasingly dealing with indoor vaping and cannabis smoke as well, both of which release harmful particles into shared indoor air.

As San Diego continues to build and plan for more housing density, we also need policies that protect residents' quality of life and health.

Smoke-free multi-unit housing is a proven practical policy that protects children, reduces fire risk, lowers maintenance costs, and helps create healthier communities.

As a mother raising young children in multi-unit housing, I can tell you this issue is deeply personal for many families.

I encourage this committee to support housing policies that ensure every renter and owner has the basic right to breathe clean air in their own home.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Kathleen Lippett.

Please unmute and begin.

It also directs the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to update its owner homeowner's guide to environmental hazards to include 13 on smoke information.

A task assigned to the San Diego State University Center for Tobacco and the Environment.

Third hand smoke refers to the toxic residents or residues left behind when tobacco smoke and vaping aerosols settle on surfaces, dog and building materials.

These pollutants are classified, many of them under Proposition 65 as percinogenic and reproductive toxins, and they can persist for years as has been previously mentioned.

AB 455 classifies third hand smoke as an environmental hazard comparable to asbestos, radon, or lead paint.

By classifying third hands as a recognized environmental hazard, that's a precedent that could influence housing, consumer protections, and tobacco policies.

Our smoke-free policies took decades to adopt, and they are being eroded by the undue influence of money and from the marijuana industry, which has relentlessly tried to frame the sale and permitting of marijuana businesses as a social equity issue.

It is not.

Clean air is the right of all people, and if helping a small number of people get into the business of selling drugs in order to uh have negative impacts on their community, is there's nothing just about that.

Thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you.

Our final speaker in the queue is Blair Beekman.

Please unmute and begin.

Hi, Blair Beekman.

Um I just attended the Bay Area UASC meeting.

I'm up in the Bay Area today.

It went okay.

Um they're learning to more talk uh clearly about uh their future goals and uh it's it's helpful.

Uh they're doing good work.

Um I wanted to speak on today that uh, you know, at yesterday's meeting there was an issue um in the afternoon meeting about um the county jail system, and I wanted to hopefully can remind that um in our county jails in San Diego, about nine people are dying a year.

Nine or ten, and so that works out to about every six weeks, somebody is dying in San Diego County jails.

It's the same in uh Santa Clara County.

It's kind of the same statistics.

And I just think that uh instead of just throwing up our hands that we can actually be doing better with the situation, uh, possibly tying it into the issues of what Andrea Ebbing is going through, that may be signaling some deeper problems that are happening with our police and our EMT persons.

Learning to address those things together, can that possibly be uh an idea at this time to consider?

And I hope it can be.

And we can be working uh I I think we should really be reducing deaths in our jails, and it takes a real good effort to do that.

Good luck in that effort.

I also wanted to mention the work of Oakland one more time.

Just uh thank you to what they've been doing.

Um, they've made promises.

There's nothing guaranteed in what they've been offering, but they're making promises to take a slow methodical approach that involves the community to leave clock and to leave um certain law enforcement uh technology data collection.

That's really um considered not kosher anymore, basically.

And uh thankfully, City Oakland is agreeing.

And I hope San Diego takes it to heart what they can be doing well, and uh we can learn some good lessons.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Chair, this concludes non-agenda public comment.

Thank you.

Do we have any committee members, mural staff, city attorney, or independent budget analyst comments?

Hearing none.

Do we have any requests for continuance?

Seeing then, we will now take up our consent agenda.

Uh, do we have any requests upon an item from the consent agenda?

Seeing then, we will move forward with public comment on the consent agenda.

Thank you, Chair.

The public comment period for the consent agenda is now open.

The consent agenda includes item one approval of the committee minutes of March 5th, 2026, and item two, 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.

Each speaker will have one minute per item for a maximum time of two minutes.

Please indicate which item or items you'll be speaking to.

And we have not received any speaker slips here in the committee room.

There are two hands raised in the virtual queue.

Phone number ending in 8700.

Please unmute and indicate which item or items you wish to speak to.

Phone number ending in 8700.

Please press star six to unmute.

We cannot hear you.

I cannot unmute for you.

Okay, we will come back to you.

Blair Beekman, please unmute and indicate which item or items you wish to speak to.

All right, I wanted to quickly speak to the meeting minutes.

Okay, please begin one minute.

Yeah, I just wanted to offer that the work you're doing with coastal uh ideas from the previous meeting minutes, uh coastal updates.

Uh really good luck that we can have uh trusted clear conversations uh about the concepts of in the environment and what sea level rise is, and we can come to an agreement between all sides.

People don't want to be um too um agreeable that there is sea level rise possible, and it seems to be really happening.

And to make that conversation clear between ourselves, so we're all on the same page working towards the same good goals.

Uh, I think it's an important concept we can work on together.

So good luck in those efforts and what it takes to do that.

And uh thank you.

Thank you.

Phone number ending in 870.

Please press star six and begin your comments.

Okay, I think you're having some technical difficulties on your end.

We cannot hear you.

So, Chair, this concludes public comment on the consent agenda.

Thank you.

We'll go ahead and turn over to committee members for any questions, comments, and a motion on the consent agenda.

We have a motion by Councilmember Whitburn.

I'll offer a second uh and seeing no other questions or comments.

Uh, we'll call the roll.

And the motion passes unanimously 40.

Thank you.

We'll now hear our discussion agenda.

Natalie, please introduce item three.

Item three, proposed fiscal year 2027, City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund Annual Plan.

And if you're watching online and wish to call in to provide a comment for item three, please call 16692545252.

The webinar ID is one six one seven nine five one nine three three pound.

Thank you.

Um we'll go ahead and turn it over to the members of the Sandiga Housing Commission if you'll let us uh know your names for the record as well as how much time you will be needed.

Um yes, hi.

Um, I'm Chris Elvan Dorians, Vice President of Financial Services, and with me is uh Matt Higgins, um principal budget and report analyst.

We'll need uh about 10 minutes for this presentation.

Thank you.

So good afternoon, Chairley and committee members uh and Nelly.

Um we are here this afternoon.

Uh we this afternoon we seek recommendation.

Sorry, this afternoon we seek your recommendation for the city council to approve the proposed fiscal year 2027 affordable housing fund annual plan.

Um we'll start with the quick discussion of the fund, uh, and we'll provide details on budgeted programs for fiscal year 27.

The City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund is composed of two permanent annually renewable funding sources.

First, the Housing Trust Fund, which was established in 1990.

It consists of revenue from housing impact fees on commercial development and loan repayments.

Uh second, the inclusionary housing fund, uh, which was established in 2003.

It consists of revenue from the collection of fees on residential developments and loan repayments.

The developers as the option to either build affordable housing units or pay fees that will be used in the creation and preservation of affordable housing.

As you recall, the city council approved changes to the inclusionary fees in December 2019.

Those changes were phased in over five years, beginning in July on July 1st, 2020.

The changes increase both the percentages of residential units that developers are required to set aside as affordable housing, as well as the amount of the fee if the developer decides to pay the fee instead of building on site.

As of July 1st, 2025, following an annual consumer price index adjustment, the requirement is currently at $25.92 cents per square foot or 10% affordable units built on site.

The slide displayed the history of fee collection for both funds.

The red-orange line represent inclusionary fees.

As we can see, these fluctuate more dramatically.

Since inception, the affordable housing fund has assisted with the creation and preservation of over 10,100 affordable housing units, assisted more than 31,000 San Diegan experiencing homelessness, and assisted over 410 households to become first-time home buyers.

I will now pass it on to Matt who will share the model programs and the budgeted amounts for programs.

Thanks, Christelle.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Affordable housing funds may be allocated to programs identified in the list of model programs.

In fiscal year 2027, we proposed allocating funds to rental housing finance, homelessness activities, and loans to create accessory dwelling units that were committed in prior years and are required to be affordable rentals for households with low income.

As part of the plan preparation, we continue to solicit feedback through outreach efforts.

We made presentations to the university, Mission Beach, and Troyas Valley Community Planning Groups.

A video of our presentation about the affordable housing fund annual plan, including closed captioning, was also made available on our website and SDHC's public engagement portal known as public input.

To increase awareness of the annual plan and the comment period, of course, we also emailed households who previously participated in a survey for the study about residential evictions in the city of San Diego and posted on SDHC's social media accounts.

Members of the public were invited to provide comments on how they thought we should best use the affordable housing fund funds.

The comments we received are attached to the proposed annual plan.

Now, let's take a look at the proposed allocation.

Here you can see the fiscal year 2027 proposed funding allocation to the various programs as compared to the 2026 allocation.

As a reminder, the affordable housing fund is only one of the multiple funding sources HDHC administers for housing assistance and homelessness programs.

This annual plan includes the proposed uses of only the affordable housing fund and the anticipated outcomes associated with the fund.

The proposed SDHC budget will reflect proposed sources and uses for all the funds we administer.

For the Affordable housing Fund, with an estimated $37.1 million in fund balance and $5.4 million in new revenues, we propose funding the following: $22.4 million towards prior year commitments from notices of funding availability or NOFAs, and committed accessory dwelling unit loans.

These are funds that were awarded in prior years.

Some of the NOFO developments have received board approval while others are in different stages of finalizing their funding stack.

In fiscal year 2027, we're also allocating $9 million towards a new NOFA.

Additional funding sources besides the affordable housing fund will make a total of $22 million available in the fiscal year 2027 NOFA.

We also propose allocating $5.8 million towards homelessness programs that include landlord engagement, prevention and diversion, and transitional housing grants.

The remaining funds are allocated to ongoing capacity building, program administration, and some legal fees.

The total affordable housing fund plan commitments are $39 million in fiscal year 2027.

Here is another representation of the proposed allocation.

As you can see, 78% is committed to rental housing finance activities for the production of affordable housing.

Here are two examples of newly constructed affordable housing developments built with financing that included affordable housing fund revenues.

Today we're asking the committee to recommend that the city council take the actions detailed in the staff report and shown on the slide.

This concludes the presentation.

We're available to answer questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Before we move to public comment, let's turn to the IBA's office, which has comments on this item.

Thank you, Chairley.

Amy Lee with the IBA's office.

The item before you proposes allocations for the Affordable Housing Fund, which, as mentioned by staff, makes up only one funding source of the Housing Commission's budget each year that supports both affordable housing and homelessness programs.

I wanted to provide a brief summary of changes included in the fiscal year 2027 annual plan compared to the prior year.

New revenue is estimated at 5.4 million, a slight increase of 0.3 million from the prior year.

Although, as shown in the housing commission's presentation, AHF revenue in recent years has widely fluctuated.

Although most allocations are comparable to prior year or based on previous commitments, there are some minor changes under homelessness house, homeless housing initiatives.

First, 150,000 is allocated for transitional housing grants, a reduction of 207,000 from the prior year.

Of this amount, 100,000 will support partial operation of the Salvation Army's transitional housing program, filing the last anticipated federal funding.

The remaining beds at this program are proposed to be added to the city's emergency shelter capacity under the proposal to expand the Haven Interim Family Shelter included in the city's fiscal year 2027 proposed budget.

According to staff, the housing commission initially contemplated seeking an exemption from the Affordable Housing Fund requirement to set aside funds for transitional housing, given other key priorities such as prevention, diversion, and the housing commission's NOFA, but this approach was reassessed due to the unanticipated shift in federal funding.

We note that the housing commission's consideration of the exemption of transitional housing set aside is consistent with prior comments from our office, as there are many competing priorities for these limited funds and transitional housing is not consistent with best practices.

We consider continuing to revisit the need for the transitional housing set aside in future years when the funding landscape allows a positive step.

Funding is not included for the rapid rehousing or flexible spending following the ramp down of these programs.

Instead, these needs will be addressed by housing commission's other rapid rehousing programs that are funded primarily through continuum of care dollars and housing commission's diversion efforts, which address many of the same issues as flexible funding.

Lastly, we know there is an increase of 497,000 or a 22% increase for the landlord and great engagement assistance program or leap.

That concludes our comments.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nellie.

Do we have any public comment?

Thank you, Chair.

The public comment period for item three is now open, and we did not receive any speaker slips in the committee room.

There are two hands raised in the virtual queue.

Each speaker will have two minutes.

Phone number ending in 8700.

I've asked you to unmute.

Please press star six and begin.

Thank you, Natalie.

Uh Joy Sonyata.

With all my technical difficulties uh today, uh I didn't have time to listen to the presentation very much, but I did work on it a bit, so here we go.

Um yes to the annual plan, of course.

And here's what I do like the uh that you preserve 422 units.

That was really, really great.

You know, my three Ps, preservation, prevention, and powering.

And on the homeless assisted number of 30,706.

I wonder if you have any detail on that large number.

It would be great to know what uh was experienced there.

And I did study qualitative and quantitative data, qualitative data is very real and very used.

So I'm gonna start talking about us using both of those sources of metrics for us to move forward on our items.

Um, under the project photos, could you please include the list of the cost of each unit?

Let's see what is this approved in former years in FY27, San Diego budget about 22 and a half million approved in prior years.

So now about six and a half million available in the new project uh not yet approved.

I hope that's correct.

Uh it doesn't it those carriers are probably all that complication in getting a project through the process.

So and I didn't understand the admin.

Did it involve some layoffs?

Uh is that why it's bigger in FY27 than FY26?

So maybe there's a carryover there that uh less admin.

So anyway, uh here we go.

Uh we stumble as we even live the miracle of life.

Thank you, love to all.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Blair Beekman.

Please unmute and begin.

Hi, Blair Beekman.

Uh, I'm entering into a Wi-Fi dead zone right now.

I'm traveling on the BART and uh I know this route, and this is just the dead zone.

So hopefully my my signal will not cut out.

Uh sorry if it will.

Um I wanted to comment that um thank you a lot for this item.

I think I've been hearing from definitely from Council Person Lacaba and from other staff and other persons that yourselves are feeling pretty good on how you're handing uh handling affordable housing issues at this time.

And I hope that uh in feeling good that you're really uh working on the idea of truly affordable housing.

And that that to me, I I think it can speak to a lot of people who are working hard for those kind of concepts.

Uh if that's coming through well, then thank you.

And real congratulations.

And if that's what this item can be also uh better addressing, thank you again.

Because I'm not fully sure uh the depth of this item.

What is exactly being said, I'm a little um uh, you know, preoccupied, so but I'm trusting uh what the the good intentions of this item and I if you could be talking about truly affordable housing uh for this item as well.

Uh that would be additionally great.

Uh overall, uh thank you for your work.

Thank you.

And Chair, this concludes public comment on item three.

Thank you.

Uh we'll turn it over to committee members for any questions, comments, and the motion.

We'll start with Council Member Woodburn.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Vanderwith, Mr.

Higgins, uh, for the presentation, all your work on this.

Thank you, Ms.

Lee, for the analysis.

Uh this is some of the most important work that we could be doing, uh helping people with rents and addressing the cost of living, uh, and helping uh people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, uh, either stay in their homes or or get back into housing.

So really uh see the value in all of this.

I really appreciated Ms.

Lee uh referencing how this year's allocations under homeless housing initiatives compared to last year's allocations.

Uh one of the things that I noticed in preparing for this is that we traditionally um in the backup materials uh that are provided with this don't actually include the previous year's proposed budget for this.

Um in the PowerPoint, you had the um how it compared to last year's overall spending for homeless housing initiatives, but in the uh staff report or the actual report, it did actually break out.

So going and I mean that's just the way we've been doing it, but it would be useful to me anyway, going forward if uh in the breakout on the homeless housing initiative spending uh for future years uh we could include what the previous allocate previous year's allocations looked like because those different allocations do different things, and I think it's useful to sort of understand um how we are allocating those.

Uh understanding that this is just a portion of the overall allocations uh that the San Diego Housing Commission is going to be doing.

Um Ms.

Lee called out the reduction in funding for transitional housing grants.

Uh about a couple hundred thousand dollar reduction and compared to last year, it would fund 37 fewer housing beds.

Uh, but I also heard Ms.

Lee reference that transitional housing grants may not be a best practice.

Can you help me sort of understand the reduction?

Are we actually losing 37 beds or those getting picked up elsewhere?

I just want to make sure I understand the differences here and where we're going with this.

Yes, thank you.

And uh I just wanted to say I hear your recommendation.

I think it's a great idea to bring uh force uh a comparative future prior year.

So we will be uh implementing that uh moving forward and uh inviting Casey uh to speak on the transitional housing.

Hi, good afternoon, council members.

Um, Councilman Councilmember Whipburn to answer your question.

When we set forth to make our recommendations for the budget last fall, we also got the COC NOFO that had a very heavy emphasis on transitional housing, and as Ms.

Lee said, that was one of the reasons we thought, you know, we're they're going to be investing almost half of the resources in transitional housing.

Let's redirect some of these other fundings that traditionally go there.

And actually that transitional housing program at the Salvation Army, which is where we're not funding the or they are getting reduced funding this year.

They actually applied for COC funding.

So we had that kind of discussion ahead of time because they needed additional funding to supplement what they were receiving from us.

We don't we don't fully this project is not is not fully funded through the city or affordable housing fund.

So they told us that they were gonna apply.

But in February, a lawsuit, there was an injunction, the the COC no fo went on pause, and so we reassessed to try to backfill some of their cost, but we made the recommendation at that time to um since these beds are not gonna be available long term, um, in case they're funded through the COC NOFO in another year to maybe offer those up as uh emergency housing um sorry, emergency shelter beds um through through our so we're not losing the beds, they're just gonna be um available through like through CCP and through the other system, opposed to a two-year program in transitional housing.

So they're not lost.

That's super helpful.

Thank you for explaining that.

Um, why don't I ask about the line item for prevention and diversion?

Um, and my question is would there be valuated uh would there be value in separating prevention and diversion?

Both are super important, but they do different things.

Prevention obviously is designed to help people at risk of homelessness stay uh in their homes.

Diversion helps people who just fell into homelessness, get back into housing.

So thoughts on that?

Absolutely, we're actually gonna do that for the first time in FY27.

Um now that we have a lot of additional resources, we want to be able to track them better.

Traditionally, what we've done is our staff that work in prevention diversion, whatever the person needs, then they will assign it based on the intervention.

But I agree to track and to do that.

We're going to separate it.

So this year they will be actually broken out.

This is the last time you'll see them together, actually.

Um, because in the actual budget, we separated them.

So I love that you're ahead of me.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

I will make the motion to approve the staff recommendation.

Thank you, Councilmember Whitburn.

We have a motion by Councilmember Woodburn.

I'm gonna go ahead and offer a second to that motion and just thank our uh friends at the Standing Housing Commission for the presentation.

Um it was actually interesting to see the trend lines because I think for the last two years we've watched the inclusionary housing fees drop pretty significantly, and we were beginning to wonder if that was a sign of where things are moving forward.

And so they see this huge uptick as a bit of a shift given where the the budgets have been in the last couple of years.

Just appreciate that despite all the pullback that we've seen at the state level in terms of affordable housing opportunities that we're continuing to put out, uh ANOFA that we hope will continue to generate additional affordable housing um units right here in San Diego.

Um, and there's much else in this plan that I think really showcases the housing commission's broad set of work from homelessness to prevention uh efforts and more.

So I'm pleased to see this move forward for discussion council.

Seeing no other speakers, uh, again, we have a motion by councilmember Whitburn, a second by myself.

I will call the roll.

And that motion passes unanimously for zero.

Thank you.

That concludes item three, and it actually brings us to the end of today's agenda.

So we will adjourn this meeting of the land use and housing committee to our next regularly scheduled meeting, which is on Thursday, June 11th, 2026, at one o'clock p.m.

We're adjourned.