The City Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring housing a human right on Monday, Oct. 31. The resolution will serve as a guiding principle for the City as it considers policies that address the root cause of homelessness.
“The Council declares its support for the right to housing as a fundamental human right and reaffirms its commitment to providing more housing and services geared toward putting a roof over the head of every San Diegan,” the resolution reads.
California is suffering through a housing affordability crisis. Apartment rental listing site Dwellsy (dwellsy.com), found asking rents in September in San Diego were up 9% compared to September 2021. This spike comes after average rent prices increased 46% from 2012 to 2019. These increases have resulted in a 15% rise statewide in the number of unsheltered individuals from 2020, according to CalMatters.
The Council resolution included plans to add housing for those who have not had historical access to adequate housing, as well as incentivizing affordable housing developments in high-opportunity neighborhoods.
Many are in support of the passed legislation, including Father Joe’s CEO and president, Deacon Jim Vargas.
“We know that access to housing is a key part of preventing and ending homelessness,” Vargas said. “We support the San Diego City Council’s planned resolution to declare housing a human right, and we also want to see the City pair this declaration with a commitment of the funds necessary to ensure housing is accessible by all San Diegans.
“With housing being one of the most fundamental social determinants of health, creating policies that will increase access to affordable housing will help ensure the well-being of our neighbors and our communities,” he added.
“The Council intends for the City to support housing as a human right by implementing policies that address the root causes of homelessness, that keep people housed through affordable, accessible, and habitable homes, and that provide pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness,” the resolution reads.
After the resolution passed unanimously, the Council requested the City Attorney’s office to review and consider the declaration. The Council’s resolution comes shortly after the County passed new policies to address homelessness in the wake of data from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness revealing people were entering homelessness for the first time faster than people were being placed in permanent housing.
