SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Downtown San Diego has not been the same since the pandemic, but local politicians believe building more housing could help revitalize the area. Assemblymember Matt Haney announced a proposed bill aimed at reviving California's downtowns by increasing housing development.
"Downtowns want housing. Downtowns are an incredible place to build more housing," Haney said.
According to the U.S. Census, around nine million people worked from home in 2019. By 2023, that number jumped to more than 22 million.
"Remote work has fundamentally changed how people use our city centers. Office vacancy is still up, foot traffic is down, and downtowns that once powered our economy are quieter than they’ve been in a long time," Haney said.
Haney said the proposed bill will do four key things: make it easier to build housing in high-density downtown areas, create clear and defined downtown zones, speed up projects to create more jobs, and finance projects through a state-backed loan fund when there is not enough money from other sources.
"Our state can do more to support cities like San Diego in getting that housing approved and built fast," Haney said.
Mayor Todd Gloria said the bill will also help improve infrastructure and support climate goals.
"We have a responsibility to create the laws that can make it work clearly and quickly with the folks who are best to do it," Gloria said.
Michael Trimble, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, supports more housing downtown as long as the historic character of the quarter is maintained and options for low-income and unhoused populations are included.
"We don't have a lot of those transition housing options. So I think that if it focuses on that, I think that it'll be very helpful because we still have a lot of people on the street, they need to have a place to go," Trimble said.
Trimble believes there are other reasons why people may not visit downtown like they used to, including cleanliness, the promenade being shut down, and the cost of parking.
"I think that if the mayor and the city want to encourage people to come back downtown, they should do things to, you know, make it more affordable," Trimble said.
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