Mayor Todd Gloria on Friday announced the "Complete Communities Now" program that requires all relevant city departments to review housing projects within 30 days that fall under the city's initiative to streamline building permits.
The program is intended to further expedite housing construction while reducing costs, and comes as a result of an executive order signed by Gloria ahead of his State of the City address in January.
"As a renter myself, I keenly understand the housing crisis we're in - - the rent is too high, and homeownership is seemingly unattainable," he said. "We change this by building a lot more housing and getting shovels in the ground as quickly as possible.
"Complete Communities is already a popular program, and my executive order to dramatically cut permitting time will make it even more attractive to home builders," Gloria said.
The program encourages development projects near public transportation that combine housing, mobility, parks and infrastructure by streamlining building permits.
According to Gloria's office, since Complete Communities went into effect in December 2020, the city has issued 22 building permits to create 1,600 homes, including 280 affordable homes, under the program.
"Many San Diegans struggle with the high cost of housing, and I am committed to making our city more affordable for our residents," said Councilman Stephen Whitburn. "Complete Communities Now accelerates our efforts to provide affordable housing options for all San Diegans so that people can use more of their income for other important purposes."
Complete Communities Now is intended to build upon the previous program, requiring the city to cut processing times for 100% affordable housing projects from several months to no more than 30 days.
"As chair of the Land Use and Housing Committee, I am committed to working with Mayor Gloria to implement pro-housing policies," said City Councilman Kent Lee. "San Diego needs to triple its current housing production to meet its annual need, and we are working to spur more housing projects across the city."
On Friday, Gloria announced that the city issued permits for 9,691 new homes in 2023 — a roughly 82% increase over the prior year and the highest total since at least 2005. However, according to the state, the city needs roughly 13,500 new homes built per year to meet demand.
The San Diego metropolitan area is regularly cited as one of the most expensive places in the country to live and, as a result, saw a decline in population of more than 30,000 residents last year, many leaving due to the high cost of living, the Union-Tribune reported.
Still, developers and city officials alike believe the 2023 increase in homes permitted is a step in the right direction.
"Complete Communities Now builds on Mayor Gloria's recently approved Housing Action Package 2.0 to incentivize the construction of a wide variety of housing types to meet the needs of San Diego families and individuals struggling under the weight of the housing crisis," said Lori Holt Pfeiler, president and CEO of the Building Industry of San Diego County.
