These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of June 16-23.
1. How San Diego’s Biggest Developers Swarmed Against SoccerCity
If SoccerCity goes down, many will claim the kill shot. But it was the biggest developers in town who actually put hundreds of thousands of dollars into a professional campaign to stop it and they worked together to find the best arguments.Some of them have competing visions for the land. Some of them don’t believe it’s a good project. Some think it will hurt their projects and other plans for Mission Valley. (Andrew Keatts)
2. A Faded Crosswalk, a Teen’s Death and the Housing Crisis Behind it All
When a 15-year-old was killed by a semi-truck in Otay Mesa in 2014, news reports focused on the fact that the teen was on her phone. No one asked why she was walking in an industrial area where few pedestrians ever go. The answer: She was walking home from school.Home was a junkyard. (Maya Srikrishnan)
3. Fact Check: Did San Diego Miss Out on 1,000 Conventions?
An expansion to the center would surely allow more events to be held, and data exists showing some event planners find the current space too small to meet their needs. But just how many events have been lost to space and date constraints? (Ashly McGlone)
4. San Diego Unified: Let’s Delete Emails First, Let Board Ask Questions Later
The San Diego Unified District is changing its policy so it permanently deletes emails after six months, and the board won’t get to discuss the policy change until it has already gone into effect. (Ashly McGlone)
5. It’s Not Too Late for the City Council to Reverse Course on the Hotel Tax Plan
The measure to raise hotel taxes in order to fund a Convention Center expansion has hit some hurdles, all of which can still be overcome. (Bob Nelson
6. For Homeless Families in the South Bay, Schools Provide Far More Than Education
Schools in the South Bay have become a hub for homeless students and their families to find everything from a place to shower to help with school enrollment to assistance applying for public benefits. (Maya Srikrishnan)
7. New Regional Leader Tasked With Unifying San Diego’s Homeless-Fighting Efforts
Gordon Walker, a crucial player in Utah’s efforts to reduce chronic homelessness, is now leading the countywide group coordinating San Diego’s fight against growing homelessness. (Lisa Halverstadt)
8. For Struggling Families in San Ysidro, Immigration Status and Housing Work Against Each Other
San Ysidro’s demographics and its location on the border contribute to a unique set of housing woes. “I can’t get my green card without an address, I can’t work without a green card and I can’t afford an apartment without work,” said one resident whose struggle is familiar to many community members. (Maya Srikrishnan)
9. From a Junkyard to a Tiny Trailer: One South Bay Family’s Housing Struggle (VIDEO)
Last school year, one-third of students in the San Ysidro School District were identified as homeless. In this short web documentary, Catalina Rios discusses her family’s struggle to find and afford stable housing. After living in a junkyard, Rios and her children now crowd into a tiny trailer. (Gabriel Ellison-Scowcroft)
10. Mayor Gets New Chief of Staff as Administration Manages Rockiest Period Yet
Out is Stephen Puetz. In is Aimee Faucett, the vice president and chief operating officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Both are longtime Faulconer aides. Puetz will work on high-profile national campaigns from San Diego. (Scott Lewis)