City leaders in Poway are taking a fresh look at the historically low in-lieu fee.
This fee is paid by developers who opt out of including affordable housing units in their projects.
Currently set at just $500 per unit for both single-family and multi-family homes, this fee stands as the lowest in San Diego County, with a few exceptions where no fee is charged at all.
Recently, some residents have begun to voice concerns that this low barrier could be discouraging the production of affordable housing in the area.
Data collected by Tigist Layne indicates that the majority of developers have chosen to pay this fee instead of constructing affordable units, raising questions about its effectiveness in incentivizing affordable housing development.
In response to these concerns, the City Council has agreed to bring in a consultant.
This consultant will evaluate the current fee and will make recommendations on whether it should be increased, remain unchanged, or even be lowered.
After receiving the recommendations, the Council will make the final decision on any potential changes to the fee structure.
This is not the first time that the topic of raising the in-lieu fee has come up during council discussions.
Previous attempts to adjust the fee have stalled due to concerns that doing so may limit the overall development within the city.
In related news, San Diego Unified School District is poised to receive an influx of state funds aimed at supporting before- and after-school programs.
The district is expected to benefit from an additional $36 million, which could potentially eliminate the existing waiting list for after-school care.
Programs like PrimeTime are particularly crucial for working families, as highlighted by a recent story from Jakob McWhinney.
He illustrated the struggles of a father who could not afford childcare and was restricted in his job opportunities because he had to pick up his child from school at certain hours.
Once his child secured a place in the after-school program, the father was able to pursue a stable career with the U.S. Postal Service.
Last year, approximately 4,200 families were on the waiting list for after-school services.
District officials are optimistic that this new funding will directly aid after-school care providers and has the potential to clear the backlog of waitlisted families.
In a retrospective look, Voice of San Diego’s Lisa Halverstadt revisited the 2017 hepatitis A outbreak that highlighted a lack of responsiveness among local officials.
Following the outbreak’s declaration by county officials, Halverstadt noticed an alarming absence of action in the early months.
Her reporting revealed that, two months into the outbreak, only two hand-washing stations had been set up, both located miles away from the downtown areas that were epicenters of the outbreak.
By the time awareness of the outbreak increased, the disease had already claimed 15 lives.
This prompted Halverstadt to investigate why the response was so sluggish, with government officials attributing delays to bureaucratic red tape and complications with vendors.
After she published her findings, there was a notable increase in urgency, and by the weekend, county contractors had installed 40 hand-washing stations throughout the city.
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Voice of San Diego is reflecting on the impactful stories that profoundly changed the San Diego community.
Halverstadt’s coverage significantly altered the public health narrative and contributed to measures that ultimately mitigated the outbreak.
Meanwhile, progress is being made on the minimum wage proposal in San Diego.
On Wednesday, the San Diego City Council’s Select Committee on Cost of Living voted to advance the minimum wage proposal for hotels, event venues, zoos, and amusement parks, correcting earlier inaccuracies about the previous reporting.
Editor Scott Lewis elaborated on the evolution of the wage proposal since it was first introduced and noted that businesses are preparing to contest it.
In other local news, California’s Attorney General’s Office has initiated legal action against a nursing facility chain based in San Diego.
The lawsuit claims that Sweetwater Care has failed to adequately staff its facilities, resulting in harm to patients.
Additionally, KPBS reported that the Department of Education’s decision to withhold funding for specific mental health grants will significantly impact the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and its students dealing with behavioral challenges.
Moreover, a substantial settlement from SeaWorld regarding unpaid lease payments will lead to upgrades in several San Diego parks, as the City Council announced a commitment of nearly $7.9 million for renovations.
The Morning Report was crafted by Tigist Layne, Will Huntsberry, Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña, and Tessa Balc.
It underwent editing by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña and Scott Lewis.
image source from：voiceofsandiego
