San Diego’s lack of affordable housing has been looming over the region for quite some time.
That’s why Sen. Toni Atkins introduced SB 2, a bill that would raise funds for affordable housing by adding a $75 fee to certain real estate documents.
Last week, the bill passed the state Legislature with the help of Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, a Republican who previously served as the commissioner on homelessness in San Diego.
On this week’s podcast, Voice of San Diego’s Sara Libby and Scott Lewis sat down with Maienschein to discuss his crucial vote on the bill.
“I didn’t go up there to vote for a political party,” Maienschein said. “I went up there to represent my constituents and do what was right.”
Also on the podcast, Lewis, Libby and Andrew Keatts go over the new vacation rental proposal backed by City Councilmen Chris Ward, Mark Kersey, Scott Sherman and David Alvarez.
Hero of the Week
Our hero this week is Fernando Hernandez, principal of Perkins K-8. Teachers and staff at the Barrio Logan school are adapting their teaching strategies as they face a surge of students struggling with homelessness.
Goat of the Week
The long-simmering feud between San Diego lifeguards and the San Diego Fire Department gets goated this week. The latest dispute between the two groups managed to politicize the national tragedy of Hurricane Harvey.