San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera have recently expressed their support for a transformative housing policy being considered at City Hall, albeit with certain reservations.
This proposed initiative seeks to eliminate the city’s mandate that homes be constructed on minimum lot sizes of 5,000 square feet.
While the concept may seem mundane, it has the potential to significantly alter the housing landscape in San Diego.
Currently, the minimum lot size requirement limits the types and numbers of homes that can be developed across the city.
By abolishing this mandate, the city could facilitate the construction of more affordable options such as townhomes and row homes on parcels of land that are 1,000 square feet or smaller.
Advocates of the policy argue that it could provide affordable housing solutions for families who are being pushed out due to rising costs.
According to a recent study, homes developed under the new guidelines could be approximately 42 percent cheaper than typical single-family houses.
These new housing units would be comparable in square footage to standard single-family dwellings but would lack yard space.
While some proponents advocate for a citywide repeal of minimum lot sizes, Gloria and Elo-Rivera are taking a more measured approach.
“We are being very thoughtful and making sure we do this the right way,” Gloria said, adding that they seek to avoid a “hatchet approach” to the implementation of this housing reform.
He indicated that the focus may be on areas with existing infrastructure, close to public transit and jobs.
I reached out to Gary London, a development consultant and supporter of the proposal, for his thoughts on this targeted approach.
While he expressed that he would ideally support ending minimum lot sizes citywide, he advised against restricting the policy solely to locations near public transit.
London referred to this as the city’s “darling policy approach” and emphasized the need to prioritize neighborhoods in need of revitalization, such as Clairemont and suburbs built in past decades.
“This is family housing,” he explained.
“What we have is the opportunity to replace aging homes with modern family housing that better serves the demographics of those communities.”
London’s firm, London Moeder Advisers, authored the study indicating that reducing minimum lot sizes could result in housing price reductions of 40 percent.
Ricardo Flores, the executive director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation San Diego, has been at the forefront of the coalition advocating for this policy change.
During a panel discussion at Politifest, he effectively conveyed the merits of ending minimum lot sizes, garnering audience support for the proposal.
Flores did not merely frame the idea as beneficial; he characterized it as a way to enhance private property rights for homeowners currently restricted from building multiple homes on their 5,000 square feet single-family lots.
“The solution here: lowering housing prices by increasing property rights for single-family homeowners,” Flores stated.
“It sounds like magic.
It sounds like nobody loses there, right?”
Ultimately, that encapsulates Flores’ message: ending minimum lot sizes is presented as a win-win scenario for all residents of San Diego.
Both Flores and London maintain that this policy shift could lower housing costs for families at risk of displacement, rejuvenate aging housing stock, enhance private property rights, and ultimately boost property tax revenues for local schools and the city.
image source from：voiceofsandiego
