San Diego, CALIF.- Measure M aims to increase the maximum number of housing units in the City of San Diego for people with low incomes.
If approved, the City and other applicable public agencies would be allowed to help develop, construct, and/or acquire 10,000 more units for those with low incomes. Currently, the state is allowed 28,680 units.
Supporters point to California's critical housing shortage, and reason the city must take action to provide more housing. The Legislative Analyst's Office's report "California's High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences" rated California as the 2nd worst state for providing adequate housing.
In a follow-up to their March 2015 report the LAO published a February 2016 report, "Perspectives on Helping Low-Income Californians Afford Housing," where they proposed a solution to California's lack of housing. To ensure housing for low-income Californians, the LAO recommends the expansion of low-income programs, and focusing on the construction of market-rate housing to mitigate displacement.
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) performed an assessment and found that 10,000 additional units would be the number of units needed by 2020 to alleviate the housing concerns.
There is no organized campaigns on either side of the measure, though there are arguments submitted to the ballot. The supporting argument states the additional units must be built in order to meet the city's growing population's needs.