The San Diego City Council, also operating as the Housing Authority, Tuesday renewed operating and oversight agreements for the city’s three temporary tent shelters for the homeless over the objections of Councilman David Alvarez, who called the shelters a “complete failure.” “It’s been a tremendous, tremendous waste of money,” said Alvarez, who cast the lone dissenting vote against renewal. “At the path we’re going, we’re going to continue spending millions and millions of dollars to not get people housed.”
A new plan could help solve San Diego’s housing shortage and reduce a rash of vacant storefronts in buildings that were intended to have ground-floor commercial tenants operating below multiple stories of housing. “While the development overall is great, the opportunity lost in terms of space because the commercial uses aren’t being maximized has been a concern of mine for some time,” Alvarez said. “It’s sometimes a blight in a community when there are vacant spaces.”
Read MoreTo make matters worse, the city council on Monday voted 5-2 to kill Councilmember David Alvarez’s hotel tax measure (an increase of 1 percent) where the money would have gone directly to homeless programs. The measure was seen as a longshot to make the ballot since the mayor’s convention center bill had already been approved for the ballot, but it stings nonetheless.
Read MoreCouncilman David Alvarez called Wednesday on Mayor Kevin Faulconer to add $1 million to support San Diego's arts and culture programs in his budget proposal, which will be considered for adoption by the City Council next week.
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