Do you have time to talk on Monday? Or check out a District 3 business this weekend? See the info below for more details. 

Small Business Highlight: Frost Me Café & Bakery

Yum! Have you checked out this District 3 eatery I recently mentioned? Take a look

A Seat at the Sports Arena Table

I’m proposing a policy next week to make sure that the County government has a say in ensuring adequate infrastructure is established for the redevelopment of the Sports Arena site. 

As the regional representative for parts of the City of San Diego that include the Midway district, I want the County to have a voice to make sure that residents in the area, as well as those who would live at the proposed Midway Rising project where the Sports Arena is today, have the infrastructure necessary to accommodate this new development.

Policy Proposal: At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, I’m asking my colleagues to support a policy directing County staff to collaborate with the City of San Diego and have a seat at the table as the City explores funding mechanisms to pay for needed infrastructure.  

One potential funding mechanism for community amenities is an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD), which would set aside increased property tax revenue from the Sports Arena location and direct it to fund infrastructure projects at and near the site. By getting the County involved with the EIFD now, it allows us to advocate for proper transportation infrastructure, fully functioning stormwater and flood control infrastructure, sewer lines, and traffic mitigation. 

My proposal means the County Board of Supervisors can speak up for the amenities and infrastructure that current and future District 3 residents need to protect their quality of life. 

Passing this policy on Tuesday does not commit the County to any funding or support, but if the decision is made down the road to create an EIFD our voice will carry more weight. 

Housing History: The County and City of San Diego held a joint meeting on October 3, 2022, where we passed a resolution committing to developing 10,000 affordable homes on public land by 2030. Since then, the County has advanced 11 county-owned sites with the construction of over 1,500 affordable units underway. The Sports Arena project would be on land owned by the City of San Diego. 

The Midway Rising project seeks to redevelop the 48.5-acre site with 2,000 new deed-restricted affordable homes, 13 acres of new parks, plazas and open space, and high-quality jobs. 

County’s Homelessness Efforts See Results 

County government is now doing more than ever to help our communities tackle the challenges of homelessness and rising housing costs.

One of the most effective ways to fight homelessness is to keep people from becoming homeless in the first place. We’ve made great strides in this, helping thousands of San Diegans keep their homes. 

• From 2021-2023, we helped   1,650 District 3 residents from becoming homeless by providing timely housing assistance at 15 percent of the average cost of traditional shelter
• To help seniors, who sadly represent about one-third of the homeless population, I led the charge to create a senior rent subsidy program to stabilize more than 400 vulnerable seniors at risk of becoming homeless. 

Read more about the County’s ramped-up efforts in this editorial I wrote for Coast News.

Let’s Talk Monday!

Join me on Monday for our latest Telephone Town Hall! RSVP here.

Our February Telephone Town Hall was such a success with nearly 4,500 San Diegans participating, we’re going to do it again! If you didn’t get to participate or ask your questions before, join me this Monday, April 29 at 6 p.m.

April is Earth Month so we’ll put extra focus on your questions about the environment and the work our County’s doing to improve air quality, keep our beaches and ocean clean, and address climate change; but we’ll also take questions about: 

• Tackling the Homeless Crisis 
• Confronting Rising Rents & Housing Costs 
• Delivering Mental Health Treatment 

Hope to hear from you then!

In service,

Terra