San Diego Group Marks 25 Years Of Affordable Housing Advocacy

THIS IS KPBS MIDDAY EDITION. I'M MAUREEN CAVANAUGH. THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IN SAN DIEGO IS ENJOYING A GREAT SPRING SEASON WITH HOUSING PRICES ON THE RISE. WHILE THAT IS GOOD NEWS FOR HOMEOWNERS IT IS JUST ANOTHER SIGN OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR REGION. THE SAN DIEGO HOUSING FEDERATION IS MARKING ITS 25th ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. ITS MISSION IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL SAN DIEGANS HAVE A CHANCE TO FIND AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME. IT IS A MISSION THAT ISN'T GETTING ANY EASIER. JOINING ME IS BRUCE REZNIK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN DIEGO HOUSING FEDERATION. WELCOME TO THE SHOW. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE EACH MONTH TO MEET THE RENT, THE MORTGAGE BUT THEY MANAGE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES. WHAT DOES AFFORDABLE HOUSING REALLY MEAN? GENERALLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING YOU'RE LOOKING AT SITUATIONS WERE FOLKS ARE PAYING NO MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THEIR MONTHLY TAKE-HOME FOR HOUSING COSTS. THAT IS CRITICAL FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. IT IS CRITICAL TO PROVIDE STABILITY, CRITICAL FOR FOLKS TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE, TO HAVE THAT STABILITY SO YOU HAVE GOOD EDUCATION OUTCOMES AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER BENEFITS THAT COME WITH THAT. WHAT THE HOUSING FEDERATION DOES IS WORK FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE LOWER INCOME, VETERANS, SENIORS, FOLKS WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND JUST WORKING FAMILIES THAT ARE TRYING TO GET BY ON MINIMUM WAGE OR SAN DIEGO EVEN CYCLICALLY MORE THAN MINIMUM WAGE BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE HOUSING WAGE IN SAN DIEGO WHICH IS ABOUT $54,000 A YEAR TO BASICALLY MEAT YOUR ESSENTIAL LIVING EXPENSES. I WOULD SUPPOSE THERE ARE AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE IN SAN DIEGO WHO ARE SPENDING CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING. ABSOLUTELY. ABOUT HALF OF SAN DIEGO RENTERS ARE SPENDING MORE THAN ONE THIRD. ONE THIRD IS WHAT IS CONSIDERED HAVING STABLE HOUSING. YOU CAN ALMOST FLIPPED THE NUMBERS ABOUT ONE THIRD OF PEOPLE ARE SPENDING OR THAN HALF OF THEIR INCOME. AGAIN, THAT REALLY TAKES AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO INVEST IN HEALTH CARE AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER SOCIETAL BENEFITS THAT REALLY ARE CRITICAL. IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT AT THE FEDERATION, THAT HOUSING IS THE FOUNDATION. THE FOUNDATION FOR A STRONG ECONOMY, THE FOUNDATION FOR GOOD EDUCATION SYSTEMS. IT HAS BEEN LINKED WITH MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE TIME STABILITY THAT FOLKS DON'T END UP IN THE PRISON SYSTEM OR IF THEY COME OUT OF THE PRISON SYSTEM THEY HAVE A STABLE PLACE TO REBUILD THEIR LIFE. IT IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTICULARLY YOU ARE PUTTING IT AROUND TRANSIT AND WALKABLE COMMUNITIES A LOT OF THE FOLKS IN AFFORDABLE UNITS LIKE A SAY, SENIORS, VETERANS, FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES OR EVEN JUST WORKING CLASS FOLKS THAT OFTEN DON'T USE TRANSPORTATION ANY TRANSPORTATION SO IF YOU PUT THEM IN THAT URBAN SETTING AROUND TRANSIT THEY ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO GET ON THE TROLLEY CAR ON THE BUS AND SO THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN STUDIES THAT DEMONSTRATE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AS WELL. RECENTLY THE ORGANIZATION REALTOR.COM FOUND SAN DIEGO THE LEAST AFFORDABLE CITY FOR HOUSING AMONG THE MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES. WHAT FACTORS ACCOUNT FOR THAT? WELL, THERE IS A LOT OF FACTORS. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE IN SAN DIEGO. WE ARE ALL IN SAN DIEGO FOR A REASON. IT IS A DESIRABLE PLACE AND THE WEATHER IS AMAZING, THE COASTLINE IS AMAZING. YOU HAVE A SUPPLY AND DEMAND. YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE DO WANT TO LIVE.. YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING. WE ARE FALLING SHORT. THERE'S A STUDY THAT WE HELPED RELEASE WITH THE CALIFORNIA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP CORPORATION WHICH IS SORT OF A THINK TANK AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT FOUND SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHORTFALL WAS ABOUT 127,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS. YOU HAVE GOT THE NORMAL SUPPLY AND DEMAND. YOU ARE IN CALIFORNIA SO YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF REGULATORY CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE OVERCOME. THERE IS A WHOLE HOST OF FACTORS. CERTAINLY WHEN HOUSING BUBBLE BURST IN SAN DIEGO THAT PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE RENTAL MARKETS. IN SAN DIEGO WE HAVE SEEN RENT OVER THE LAST DECADE GO UP 20% WHILE MEDIAN INCOME HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN 7% IN THAT SAME PERIOD. THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS. A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION. ONE OF THE OTHER BIG ONES, THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON, IN SAN DIEGO IN CALIFORNIA WE HAVE LOST A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT USED TO GO FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WENT REDEVELOPED WAS A PRIMARY FUNDER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHEN GOVERNOR. BROWN AND THE LEGISLATURE DID IT WAY WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT AND THERE WAS GOOD IN BED WITH REDEVELOPMENT BUT IT WAS THE MAIN DRIVER FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE KIND OF THROUGH THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER. IN SAN DIEGO JUST FROM THE LOSS OF REDEVELOPMENT WE LOST ABOUT $86 MILLION A YEAR. STATEWIDE IT WAS OVER $1 BILLION A YEAR FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NOW THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ARE GONE OUR DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS LET'S SEE LIKE CIVIC SAN DIEGO, ARE THEY FOUND WERE ARE THEY LIVING UP TO THE SAME REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS PART OF THEIR DIPLOMAS? THEY ARE NOW. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ARE PUSHING, CIVIC. I KNOW'S CIVIC HAS A CHALLENGING JOB BUT WE WANT TO SEE THEM FOLLOW A LOT OF THOSE SAME RULES THE REDEVELOPMENT HAD. WE HAVE HAD TO ADVOCATE FOR A REQUIREMENT THAT 20% OR MORE WHICH IS WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT OF THOSE UNISON DOLLARS SPENT BY CIVIC GO TO AFFORDABLE UNITS. THERE IS OTHER AGENCIES. WE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE KIND OF REQUIREMENTS, INCLUSIONARY REQUIREMENTS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND ADMITTEDLY IT IS SOMEWHAT OF A TRIAGE SITUATIONS AS WE REST -- LAST REDEVELOPED, FINDING FREE DEVELOPED SOURCES. ULTIMATELY WE REACHED A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY -- ALSO KNOWN AS THE LINKAGE FEE. YES UP WILL BRING A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. SPEAKER ATKINS, THE LEADING VOICE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCALLY AND IN THE STATE, SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH A LOT OF THE MEMBERS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON A PACKAGE OF BILLS THAT WOULD REALLY OFFSET THE LOSS OF REDEVELOPMENT. THAT WOULD BRING IN THE FALL OF THE PAST ABOUT $1.4 BILLION STATEWIDE. THAT IS WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO START DRIVING THE DEVELOPED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. EVEN KNOW WE ARE DOWN HERE IN SAN DIEGO VERY FAR AWAY FROM SACRAMENTO WE HAVE GOT THE MEMBERS HERE, SOME LEGISLATORS THAT WE ARE PUSHING ON AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE BILLS MAKE IT THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AND GET SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR. COUPLED WITH THE HIGH COST OF HOUSING AS WE JUST HEARD SAN DIEGO FACES A CHALLENGE HOUSING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. WAS SORT OF ROLE DOES THE HOUSING FEDERATION PLAY IN FINDING HOMELESS PEOPLE AFFORDABLE PLACES TO LIVE? WE DON'T WORK AS DIRECTLY WITH THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY. PARTLY THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ONE YOU INTERVIEWED. THEY ARE ALL MEMBERS OF OURS AND WE DO TRAINING AND CONFERENCE AND ROUNDTABLES TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES BUT THE MAIN THING THAT WE DO IS REALLY JUST ADVOCATING FOR THE CREATION OF MORE UNITS. IF MORE LOWER AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS COMPANY AT THOSE ARE SET ASIDE FOR THE KINDS OF POPULATIONS THAT HOMELESS GROUPS SERVE IF WE CAN CREATE MORE OF THOSE UNITS THAN WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE HOUSING FIRST MODEL AND GET FOLKS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, INTO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. THAT IS OUR MAIN ASPECT. LIKE I SAID A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS WORK IN THAT FIELD AND OBVIOUSLY WE ARE SUPPORTIVE WHEREVER WE CAN BE. WE -- WE HAVE SPOKEN TO, EXCUSE ME, ON THIS PROGRAM A LOT OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS AROUND THE SAN DIEGO. WHAT THEY SAY IS THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS ALWAYS HAD HIGH HOUSING PRICES AND LOW AFFORDABILITY. THAT IS PROBABLY HOW IT ALWAYS WILL BE. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT? IT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE AREA IN SAN DIEGO. WE WILL ALWAYS BE PUSHING. THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE LIKE IN CALIFORNIA. WE LIKE HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS BECAUSE WE WANT TO PROTECT THE AIR IN THE COASTLINE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. TO SOME EXTENT THERE IS TRUTH IN THAT BUT I HAVE -- SOMEBODY THAT EXCEPT THOSE KIND OF REALITY I THINK WE CAN BRING MORE MONEY. I THINK IF YOU RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM ECONOMIC, I KNOW ALL OF THE BUSINESSES IN SAN DIEGO WANT TO SEE THEIR WORKERS BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. WE WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENT TO, TO THE HEALTH BENEFITS AND EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS. I THINK WE CAN DO IT. I THINK WE ARE OF IS THE BIG FANS OF SPEAKER ATKINS AND ALL THE MEMBERS AND LEGISLATORS WORKING ON A PACKAGE OF BILLS. I AM ALWAYS AN OPTIMIST. IF I WAS I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE IN THE KIND OF WORK I SPENT MY LIFE AND. I MENTIONED THIS IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOUSING FEDERATION. YOU WILL HAVE YOUR ANNUAL REVIEW WORDS THIS WEEK. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THOSE AWARDS? THE RUBY WORDS RECOGNIZES THE BEST THAT WE HAVE HAD IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE PEOPLE AND ADVOCATES, THE RESIDENT LEADERS, PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE RESIDENT SERVICE AND OF COURSE THE FILAMENTS THEMSELVES. WE PRESENT SOME OF THE WORDS, WEEPY PRESENT SOME OF THEM SO GREAT ALMOST LIKE COME 22 IN LOGAN HEIGHTS, ONE OF OUR EFFICIENCY WORDS AND THEN WE PRESENT A NUMBER OF THEM LIVE THAT PART OF THE OTHER THING IS AGAIN MAKING THESE CONNECTIONS AND REACHING THE PUBLIC. I WOULD LIKE THE RUBY WORDS AND ONE OF THE REASONS I AM ON HERE TODAY, TO BE LIKE THE ORCHIDS AND ONIONS WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THESE ARE GREAT OF ALMONDS THAT CAN REALLY BE ANCHORS IN COMMUNITY AND WE WANT TO GET THAT WORD SPREAD OUT THERE. THAT IS SORT OF THE SECONDARY BENEFIT. WE HAVE MADE IT REALLY COULD PUSH THIS YEAR TO TRY TO GET FOLKS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE ACTIVIST COMMITTEE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, IS GOING TO BE OUR BIGGEST EVENT. IT IS A 25th ANNIVERSARY. WHERE SOLD OUT SO I DON'T EVEN NEED TO ANY PITCHING FOR THE EVENT. WE ARE GOING TO BE AT OVERCAPACITY AT 400 PEOPLE ON FRIDAY. IT SHOULD BE A GREAT EVENT. I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH BRUCE REZNIK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN DIEGO HOUSING FEDERATION. INKS FOR SPEAKING WITH US. THINK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. YOU ARE LISTENING TO KPBS MIDDAY EDITION.