Reject Amendments to the Housing Element

May 24, 2021

Councilmember LaCava City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101	Council President Campbell City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101	Councilmember Whitburn City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101
Councilmember Montgomery Steppe City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101	Councilmember Von Wilpert City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101	Councilmember Cate City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101
Councilmember Campillo City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101	Councilmember Moreno City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101	Councilmember Elo-Rivera City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101
Mayor Todd Gloria City Administration Building 202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101

Re: Amendments to the Housing Element

Dear Mayor and Members of the San Diego City Council,

On Tuesday, June 8th, when the City Council considers Item 330, “Amendment to the 6th Cycle General Plan Housing Element”, we ask that the Council reject the amendment. The Council should require the City to justify the central claim of its argument in Appendix HE-D of the Housing Element introduced by the amendment. The claim is that all sites identified will be developed up to 90% of residential capacity by 2029, adding much-needed housing stock. The NAACP San Diego Branch Housing Committee determined the City has failed to justify its numbers and attempted to obscure its lack of justification in a long-winded report full of irrelevant figures. The City Council should not in good faith accept this amendment since it has failed to clearly and logically justify its one central claim.

The authors of the appendix evidently hope that by asserting this figure is “conservative” they will avoid genuine scrutiny. No historical evidence has been supplied to justify this claim. No estimate of the current rate of redevelopment is provided. No compelling argument has been made that the 90% capacity will be fulfilled by 2029.

Since the Housing Element is such an important part of the General Plan, and since it will be in effect for years to come, the City Council must demand that the plan be substantiated with clear and compelling evidence. You, the City Councilmembers, should demand evidence that will be convincing to your constituency.

As it stands the current amendment does not make a clear argument justifying its central claim. Therefore we invite the Councilmembers simply to ask for a clear and credible Housing Element. If the City has any additional evidence justifying its claims, then it will be a simple matter to release it. Moreover, the NAACP San Diego Branch Housing Committee suggests that the Council demand at least the following evidence to satisfy the additional scrutiny of its constituents:

A historical assessment of the rate of redevelopment, and how it has impacted site capacity.
Any evidence the City can furnish showing that 90% capacity of these sites by 2030 is plausible, which could include case studies of other jurisdictions, academic studies, or original research commissioned by the City.

Thank you,

Francine Maxwell, President
NAACP San Diego Branch

Derrick Luckett, Housing Committee Chair
NAACP San Diego Branch

Michael Gallaspy, Housing Committee Co-Chair
NAACP San Diego Branch

PO Box 152086
San Diego CA 92195

(619) 431-1633 Phone/Text
info@sandiegonaacp.org
www.sandiegonaacp.org

Celebrating 102 years of civil rights advocacy in San Diego