The Morning Report
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Mayor Jerry Sanders announced today his support of Proposition 1C, a state bond initiative for affordable housing and emergency shelter programs. If passed in November, the state initiative would delegate $100 million to San Diego’s programs, money the Mayor’s Office says would build 2,400 affordable housing units and shelters.
Councilwoman Toni Atkins joined the mayor at the press conference, held at the Veterans Village of San Diego, a residential and educational facility near Old Town that was completed with funds from Proposition 46, the 2002 equivalent of Prop. 1C. Joining Sanders and Atkins were Tom Scott of the San Diego Housing Federation and Todd Phillips of the San Diego Housing Commission.
Atkins said San Diego is the second least affordable place to live in the nation, with almost 10,000 homeless residents. She said the initiative is “the next step” in continuing the work begun by Proposition 46. Support for the initiative has come from both social advocacy and business groups, including the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity. You can access a list of the proposition’s endorsers here.
Mayor Sanders and Councilwoman Atkins also expressed sadness over the death of ex-councilman George Stevens today. Atkins said Stevens was a compassionate, driven advocate for affordable housing and shelter programs in San Diego and that he would surely want San Diego voters to support Prop. 1C.
Several of the veterans assisted by the Veterans Village held “Yes on 1C” signs behind the podium at the conference. Two of them, James Mayfield and Joy Conley, told me the funding from the proposition would help them once their initial rehabilitation was complete.
“One of the most important parts of reintegrating is staying connected to the VVSD,” Conley said. Conley has been in San Diego about 20 years and has been participating in VVSD programs for about 3 months, she said.
Mayfield, involved in VVSD programs for the past five months, said continued funding for programs like theirs would ease the transition into “sober, clean” living.