Affordability. That’s what drove voters in San Diego’s District 2 to the polls on Tuesday afternoon.
It’s also why Alex Fischer, a 36-year-old Point Loma resident, cast his vote for Josh Coyne.
Coyne is one of seven candidates looking to replace District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell. The top contenders are Democrats Coyne, Nicole Crosby and Mandy Havlik along with former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey, a former Republican.
Fischer, who has a daughter and another child on the way, wants to make sure his children have an affordable place to live if they choose to stay in Point Loma in the future.
Fischer said he appreciated Coyne’s “market-driven” approach to reducing the cost of housing in District 2 by pushing for more development. According to his website, Coyne is proposing to expedite the building process in transit hubs, near schools and underutilized city-owned properties that include “diverse housing types” and “mixed-use neighborhoods.”
“If people ever want to have a chance to buy a house here, something has to change,” Fischer said.
Allison Hervey, a 34-year-old born and raised in Point Loma, voted for Havlik for the same reason.
She also voted yes on Measure A, which would place a tax on second homes that remain vacant for more than half the year, because she thinks it is the key to creating more affordable housing in District 2.
“I’d love to buy a house but it’s pretty tough out there,” Hervey said.
She said she thinks Havlik’s approach to affordable housing — which focuses on increasing assistance programs for first-time homebuyers and converting “underutilized” commercial properties to mixed-use developments — will help push Hervey’s agenda of limiting short-term rentals in San Diego.
“I grew up in the neighborhood. I’m still friends with a lot of people from San Diego and nobody can buy because there are people who own multiple houses that are all short-term rental,” Hervey said. “It would be really nice to open up that housing stock and give it back to the people.”
Ann Cooley, a 75-year-old Point Loma resident, voted for Bailey. She said she isn’t sure what the solution is but would like to see more thought put into housing development. Generally, she is an advocate of less development and more public transit.
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