South County Goes Full YIMBY

South County leaders are bullish on housing.

In a series of candidate forums last week, including our own Politifest, candidates for mayor in National City and Chula Vista, along with San Diego City Council District 8 candidate Antonio Martinez, voiced strong support for high-density housing, public transit, walkable shopping districts and anything else that would lower housing and transportation costs for residents.

The unified pro-development attitude contrasts sharply with ongoing battles in some North County cities against state housing mandates.

Candidates’ proposals ranged from using AI to speed up permitting to transforming San Ysidro Boulevard into a walkable shopping and entertainment district akin to Chula Vista’s Third Avenue.

Both National City Councilmember Jose Rodriguez and Chula Vista Elementary School District Trustee Francisco Tamayo said they would seek to turn city-owned land into low-cost for-sale housing.

“We must take a very active and proactive approach,” Rodriguez said.

Yes, but: Leaders’ enthusiasm won’t necessarily lead to more building, said Saad Asad, communications manager for the housing advocacy group California YIMBY.

Asad said recent changes to state law already cleared away many of the regulatory impediments that once blocked local housing developments.

The main challenge now, he said, is the high cost of building in California. That forces builders to charge more for housing than lower-income South County residents often can afford.

Indeed, said Asad, builders’ preferred market these days turns out to be…North County.

“They could make a difference,” he said of South County leaders’ pro-housing stances. “[But] the constraints are harder.”

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