Anti-status quo  fervor swept the recent elections up and down the ballot in San Diego and across the country as shown by San Diego County voters who “did not turn out for the Democratic ticket in near the numbers they did before.” Voters expressed dissatisfaction with incumbents whom they feel have failed to address critical issues let alone provide policies to make their lives easier. First among those issues is the cost of living or, more specifically, the high costs of housing, including soaring rent prices and high interest rates.

‍

Voters also expressed frustration with the lack of progress on homelessness and basic maintenance of streets, sidewalks, parks, and other city infrastructure.

‍

Frustration with incumbents and their performance manifested locally when San Diego voters rejected Measure E – a full cent increase in the city’s sales tax that would have generated an estimated $400 million a year to address everything from fixing potholes to retaining and hiring more police officers.

‍

The city of San Diego is now facing more than a billion dollars in deficits over the next five years, which will require “some important conversations about what we prioritize, who we prioritize, and what that means for the city as a whole” said previous San Diego Council President and now Councilmember Elo-Rivera.

‍

San Diego is not only the government agency facing crushing deficits. San Diego Unified School District – the largest school district in the county is facing a $176 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year, and a projected $230 million deficit for the following year.

‍

As Scott Lewis, the CEO and editor-in-chief of Voice of San Diego, explained in a recent VOSD Podcast episode, San Diego voters are “frustrated” and ready to “revolt.”

‍

So, what can San Diego’s elected officials do to address voter frustrations and head off another anti-incumbency election?

‍

The solution is simple: lower housing costs. To do so, the mayor and City Council members simply should allow San Diego residents to buy less land – 1,000 square feet to be exact – to build a three story 3-bedroom townhome with a garage. Currently, you must buy 5,000 square feet of land to live in the 81 percent of the city zoned single-family.

‍

A new and growing coalition of local leaders, Homeownership Opportunities for SD (HOSD), has come together to advocate for this policy change in San Diego. The purpose of our initiative is simple: If you can build a home on a smaller lot, it will be cheaper. And San Diego needs more homes. A lot of them.

‍