Housing Action Plan 2.0 expected to return to City Council in December

The controversial plan was rejected by San Diego City Council, citing building location concerns and access to public transit.

November 21, 2023 • 
Michael Beausoleil
Residential construction

A residential building in development in San Diego.

Photo via @CityofSanDiego

Table of Contents
The proposal
The concerns

San Diego City Council rejected the controversial Housing Action Plan (HAP) 2.0 draft this month, but Mayor Todd Gloria and City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said a revised plan will be presented to City Council next month.

The proposal

HAP 2.0 is aimed at making more housing available for low-income San Diegans, students, and middle-income families by:

  • Incentivizing the creation of off-campus student housing.
  • Removing parking requirements for homes near public transit.
  • Encouraging the creation of single-room occupancies and accessory dwelling units.
  • Converting public land and underused commercial spaces into housing.

The concerns

City Council identified many potential issues that need to be addressed in the revised proposal, including:

  • Building regulations allowing moderate-income and low-income housing to be built at different sites, rather than integrating units in the same complex.
  • Restructured development fees that incentivize multi-bedroom units.
  • The lack of building locations near public transit.