SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Monday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria unveiled an empowerment policy plan for San Diego’s Black community.
The mayor's policy plan is aimed at supporting the city's Black community with initiatives including economic mobility, addressing housing and homelessness, police reform, addressing climate change's impact on communities of color, eliminating educational barriers, and solving health disparities amid the pandemic.
Gloria says his plan will, "work to correct these systemic inequities impacting the Black community."
"Systemic problems remain within our nation that have often left Black communities disenfranchised and disregarded," Gloria said. "With the help of my Black Advisory Group and community members, we have developed a framework to tackle some of our Black community’s most pressing issues. This plan will create opportunities for the Black community to thrive today and for generations to come."
Some highlights of each section include:
- Housing and homelessness: Prioritize new housing construction in all neighborhoods, especially focused near transit and jobs; and leverage local dollars with state and federal resources to incentivize more housing production
- Police reform: Strengthen “unconscious” or “implicit bias” training for all officers; and explore options that would limit the use of tear gas and other specialty munitions (more information on the city's police reforms)
- Education: Partner with school districts to expand workforce development initiatives
- Healthcare: Subsidize childcare for essential workers, others impacted by COVID-19; and promote mental health resources through all city channels
The mayor's full plan can be read here.
"For far too long, we have seen the devastating impacts of systemic racism on the Black community in housing, police practices, environmental injustices, and a lack of access to quality health and educational resources," said Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe, chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods. "The Mayor's Plan takes a crucial step in amplifying the decades-long efforts of many community activists, advocates and allies in the movement to dismantle the policies in our region that have harmed Black people, and I look forward to continuing my work to address the disparate treatment of our communities of concern."
