City Council delays vote on giving mayor more power during homelessness emergency

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego City Council was slated to vote Monday on whether or not to give the mayor more power in the midst of a homelessness crisis. But fewer than two hours before the meeting, the item was pulled off the agenda.

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera and the Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department have worked in tandem to develop the item originally up for discussion Monday afternoon. Elo-Rivera said the item was pulled from the agenda at the start of the meeting and sent back to staff so they could understand how the change would impact them. He said it will be brought back to the agenda “as soon as possible.”

“We’re going to proceed business as usual. Our understanding is the council president will continue pursuing this but first has to discuss with the unions of the affected employees,” Mayor Todd Gloria’s press team said in an email to FOX 5/KUSI Monday afternoon.

The item proposes to amend the San Diego Municipal Code and authorize the mayor and city council to declare local emergencies “related to housing and/or homelessness in the City of San Diego.”

This item does not declare a local emergency, but gives the mayor more power in what they are allowed to do during a declared local emergency.

Amendments to Authorize a Local Housing and Local Homelessness State of Emergency

• The Mayor may declare a local housing emergency when the City’s home permitting is at least 40% below its goals
• The Mayor may declare a local homelessness emergency when the City has reached a “crisis” by the unhoused population in the city is more than two times the number of shelter spaces or the unhoused population increased by more than 20% in one year.

If the local housing and homelessness emergency is approved, the mayor will have the authority to:

• Make, issue, enforce rules, regulations, order, directives considered “necessary” to address the emergency
• Gather contracts for public works, services, goods and consultant contracts for homelessness facilities “necessary to safeguard life, health, or property caused by the emergency.”
• Suspend certain requirements for the contracting process, including not needs council approval requirements for contracts with public agencies and non-profits, not to exceed $5 million or a term of 5 years, and competitive bidding requirements for a term no more than 2 years
• Accept and use any grant funding “necessary” to respond to the emergency or to mitigate, unless council approval is required by the agency issuing the grant.

The declaration would expire, unless renewed every 90 days.

Current Homeless Crisis

The latest Point-in-Time Count shows 10,605 homeless in the San Diego region, with 64% of those in the city of San Diego.

The biggest increase in homelessness came from unsheltered families in the city of San Diego, which rose from 47 in 2023, to 100 in 2024 so far, a 113% increase.

The current shelter capacity in San Diego is listed at 2,464 beds, but by the first few months of 2025, 600 of those beds will no longer be available.

Golden Hall is expected to close its 264 beds by the end of 2024 because the temporary permit will expire, and the facility’s condition is poor.

Also by the end of the year, Father Joe’s Paul Mirabile Center will shut down its 350 beds to turn the existing shelter into a detox and sober living center.

During the start of 2025, 40 beds at Rachel’s Promise will close as the property is redeveloped.

2024 Point-in-Time County Regional Breakdown:

Current Shelter Capacity :

The shelters in bold above will be closing at the end of the 2024 or beginning of 2025. This will bring 654 beds offline, or unavailable, to house the homeless population.

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