Where new homes are being built
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson ….it’s Tuesday, July 28th
CONSTRUCTION IS ON THE RISE IN SAN DIEGO
More on that in part two of our housing series. But first... the headlines….####### PADILLA IMMIGRANT LEGISLATION
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA INTRODUCED A BILL ON FRIDAY THAT WOULD CREATE A PATH FOR THOSE WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS TO OBTAIN LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENCY
THE LEGISLATION IF APPROVED WOULD MAKE CHANGES TO THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT THAT WAS LAST UPDATED IN 1986 UNDER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN.
UNDER THE PROPOSAL, THOSE WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS WOULD QUALIFY FOR A GREEN CARD IF THEY HAVE LIVED IN THE U-S FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS, HAVE NO CRIMINAL RECORD AND MEET OTHER REQUIREMENTS.
SENATOR PADILLA SAYS THAT IF PASSED, THE BILL WOULD IMPACT ROUGHLY 8 MILLION PEOPLE
####### BALBOAPARKING2A
SAN DIEGO IS MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS TO CHARGE FOR PARKING IN BALBOA PARK.
PHASE 1 OF THE PLAN INVOLVES THE INSTALLATION OF PARKING METERS ALONG 6TH AVENUE, BALBOA DRIVE AND PARK BOULEVARD.
KATY MCDONALD, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NONPROFIT FOREVER BALBOA PARK, OPPOSED THE CHARGES BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PARK NEEDS REVENUE.
BALBOAPARKING 2A 0:13
KM: We are pleased that the money from the parking fees will be spent in the park and the parking management fund but we need to be clear that the park is deeply under-resourced. The park will continue to need significant investment from the city.
THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY ADOPTED A BUDGET THAT ASSUMES PAID PARKING WILL BE APPROVED. IF THE COUNCIL CAN'T AGREE ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE PLAN, IT WILL LIKELY HAVE TO CUT THE CITY'S PARKS AND RECR EATION BUDGET EVEN FURTHER.
######## SD PEPPERPARK
THE RESTROOMS AND FISHING PIER AT PEPPER PARK IN NATIONAL CITY ARE CLOSED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AS IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE
THAT’S IN ADDITION TO THE PLAYGROUND AT THE PARK BEING CLOSED SINCE JULY 23RD.
ONCE COMPLETE THE ROUGHLY 5 ACRE PARK WILL FEATURE A NEW SPLASH PAD, A PIRATE-THEMED PLAYGROUND, A PICNIC AREA, A NEW ENTRANCE PLAZA AND MORE
ACCORDING TO THE PORT, THE 8 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT IS FUNDED BY A COMBINATION OF PORT, FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS AND WILL REOPEN IN EARLY 2026
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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########## HOUSINGPART2
A NEW ANALYSIS BY VOICE OF SAN DIEGO AND KPBS FINDS HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IS ON THE RISE. BUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES IS NOT BEING DISTRIBUTED EQUALLY ACROSS SAN DIEGO'S CITIES. AS PART OF OUR PUBLIC MATTERS PARTNERSHIP, WE BRING YOU THIS STORY FROM VOICE OF SAN DIEGO REPORTER WILL HUN TSBERRY.
HOUSING PT 2 (public matter s) TRT 3:26 last words “will huntsberry”
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San Diego feels like it’s buckling under the weight of its housing crisis. Supply does not meet demand… which drives up prices… which makes it feel impossible to find or afford a home.
A new analysis by Voice of San Diego and KPBS looked at where exactly housing IS being built.
The supply of new homes it turns out varies widely from city to city.
From a pure volume standpoint, San Diego -- the largest city -- builds the most homes.
But we crunched the numbers on a per capita basis from 2018 to 2024.
We found El Cajon permitted the least, just under 10 homes per thousand residents.
Bill Wells/El Cajon Mayor
(00:51)
“It is just a matter of space. We, you know, we're like Tokyo, we, we, there's no space left, there's no place to build.”
Bill Wells, El Cajon’s mayor, says the reason is there isn’t enough vacant land. He says he isn’t hostile to development.
Bill Wells/El Cajon Mayor
(31:53)
“You bring me somebody who wants to tear down an old strip mall and build a nice condo project and we’ll treat 'em really well.”
But Wells also criticized the state’s housing laws -- which try to encourage denser housing in urban cores and take zoning power away from cities. He says the residents of El Cajon don’t want massively increased density.
In all of San Diego, one city built much more than the others. That was Chula Vista.
It’s built 38 homes per one thousand residents.
Will Huntsberry/Voice of San Diego
STANDUP: Chula Vista has built the most homes per person in the county for a reason. It's the only place left with open space. Here in the southeastern corner of the city, developers have built a ton of new homes.
GRAPHIC
Types of homes permitted in Chula Vista
56% Apartments
9% ADUs
24% Single family homes
Source: Analysis of state data from 2018-2024
Chula Vista also permitted a lot of different types of housing. Roughly 56 percent were new apartment buildings with five or more units. Around 10 percent were ADU’s and 24 percent were single-family homes.
Saad Assad/YIMBY Democrats of San Diego
(32:13)
“They also want to convert some of their shopping centers to add housing there.”
Saad Assad is on the board of the pro-housing group YIMBY Democrats of San Diego. He says Chula Vista deserves credit for the variety.
Saad Assad/YIMBY Democrats of San Diego
SOT con’t
“So I think they're kind of trying to find the path that will allow them to build housing for their residents. And they're gonna see a lot of growth just because their location has a lot of transit stops near downtown as well.”
Map of county, circle and zoom in on Encinitas
Another interesting finding came from North County.
Encinitias is known as one of California’s NIMBY capitals. People there don’t want new housing. They want their “neighborhood character” to stay the same.
But Encinitas actually permitted the fourth-most housing per capita of any city in the county. Here's Bruce Ehlers, Encinitas’s mayor
Bruce Ehlers/Encinitas Mayor
(04:43)
“In Encinitas, we're actually building the housing. It is ironic that the state likes to point out Encinitas is this rogue city. And we're well ahead of most other cities.”
Encinitas has been sued multiple times for violating state housing laws. That has forced the city to make way for new housing.
Ehlers says people are mad about it.
Bruce Ehlers/Encinitas Mayor
(18:20)
“They hate it.”
During the six-year window we looked at more than 82,000 new homes were created in the county.
GRAPHIC
Affordable Housing Permits
Above Moderate Income: 78.2%
Below Moderate Income: 6.8%
Low Income: 8.5%
Very Low Income: 6.5%
Source: Analysis of state data from 2018-2024
Of those, the majority were not affordable to regular people.
78 percent were priced for people with “above moderate” income, as defined by state officials. Still, 22 percent were affordable.
And, according to housing advocates, the more high income homes that are built… the more low-priced homes get to stay priced that way.
For Voice of San Diego, I’m Will Huntsberry
TAG: TO EXPLORE A MAP OF WHERE HOUSING IS BEING BUILT, GO TO KPBS DOT ORG SLASH WHOSE BACK YARD.
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THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT WILL RELEASE FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDING IT HAS HELD BACK SINCE THE END OF JUNE.
THE FUNDING PAYS FOR SEVERAL PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM. EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS HAS MORE ON HOW IT HELPS STUDENTS.
MIGRANTED1 1:13
Adriel Bibiano was in eighth grade when his dad, a farmworker, had to take on a second job. His mom was in Mexico.
BIBIANO
We had to really learn how to take care of ourselves during that time. I had to learn how to wash clothes, cook. I had to pick up my little brother from school.
The Migrant Education Program helped them get food, health care, and help with math and reading.
BIBIANO
They gave us tutoring when we struggled because my parents didn't have the opportunity to learn English or even go to school.
The program supports students whose parents move for seasonal work in the agriculture, dairy, fishing and lumber industries.
Last month, the Trump administration said it was waiting to disburse Migration Education funds until further review.
On Friday, the Department of Education told NPR that it would release the funds to states this week.
Elisa Ayala directs the Migrant Education Program at the San Diego County Office of Education. She says they can’t do their work without the federal funding.
AYALA
And we don't want to see our children, you know, hungry or tired or exhausted or not learning.
The office is waiting on more than $5 million for the program. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
########## FRAUD1
FINANCIAL SCAMS AIMED AT TARGETING SENIORS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ARE GETTING SOPHISTICATED AND MORE COSTLY. HEALTH REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO HAS THE LATEST NUMBERS AND WHAT’S BEING DONE TO FIGHT BACK
TRT 1:16. SOC
In just the first half of 2025, 747 older adults in San Diego County have fallen victim to scams, losing nearly $70 million dollars.
JENNIFER SOVAY
We've seen an uptake every single year.
Jennifer Sovay oversees San Diego County’s Elder Justice Task Force. They investigate scams and financial abuse cases.
JENNIFER SOVAY
Our number one scam is bank involved scams where they're connecting the individual through the computer, saying, your bank account has been compromised.
She says many victims never recover financially.
JENNIFER SOVAY
Many have either lost all of their life savings. Some have lost their homes.
To help fight back, the county launched Operation Counter Strike in 2024.
JENNIFER SOVAY
We've recovered over 9 million dollars for our victims.
County officials urge older adults to stay vigilant and verify before you click, send, or share any personal information. And if you or a loved one has been a victim of fraud, call the Adult Protective Services Hotline at 1-800-339-4661.
Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
