San Diego City Council District 9 candidates address housing concerns during forum

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The race for San Diego City Council District 9 has current president Sean Elo-Rivera taking on his challenger, former police officer Terry Hoskins.

At the League of Women Voters, the divide in priorities between the candidates is clear — Rivera says he is focusing on those who trying to get their foothold in America’s Finest City.

“Every renter in San Diego should have more protections and seniors have additional protections. Nobody should live in fear of being forced out of their homes when they are paying their rent on time,” says Elo-Rivera.

Hoskins says development around District 9 is pitting neighbor against neighbor as more units are built on existing properties.

“Developers are being incentivized they’re the ones that’s buying up all the housing, the ones that are flipping them. They’re the ones that are creating the price of housing and why it’s going up… Nothing is cheaper, those policies have not worked,” Hoskins says.

Hoskins says he’s running to be responsive to the people of District 9.

“I am for encampments to be moved and I’m for nudging. The incumbent was against the ban on encampments,” he says.

“I will never accept there will always be homeless people. We are better than that, we have to be better than that,” Hoskins adds.

District 9 encompasses Kensington, City Heights, SDSU’s College Area, and Mountain View with all eyes looking to the Nov. 5 election.

“If you are not responsible for anything, why are you here? So we have to take responsibility, we have to take ownership. The last three plus years, he has not done that, and we are going to change that,” Hoskins says.

“Who are we going to fight for? Are we going to fight for the folks who already have what they need? The businesses that have what they need, the folks who have already made it?” Elo-Rivera says. “Or are we going to fight to expand opportunity? Are we going to fight for the neighborhoods that haven’t seen the investment they need?”

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