Third-District Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents Downtown San Diego and the surrounding neighborhoods, issued the following statement in response to Mayor Todd Gloria’s second State of the City address:
“It’s refreshing to see a common-sense mayor exhibiting leadership. Everyone sees our challenges – from homelessness to broken streets. Instead of dancing around these problems, Mayor Gloria is tackling them head-on with solutions.
“My constituents are deeply concerned about widespread homelessness, unaffordable housing, broken infrastructure, and police response times, and I have been working with my City Council colleagues to address these problems. We’re fortunate to have a mayor whose priorities are the same as ours.”
Councilmember Whitburn further remarked on the key policy areas Mayor Gloria addressed:
On Homelessness: “District Three residents bear the brunt of San Diego’s homelessness crisis. We can’t continue to have people living on our streets. While we took important actions last year to address this crisis, we have much more to do to see visible progress. Tonight, the Mayor outlined a three-pronged approach that includes increasing permanent supportive housing, expanding shelter capacity, and supporting reforms to conservatorship laws. I agree with the Mayor that these are key steps we need to take.”
On Housing: “My City Council colleagues and I approved the construction of thousands of housing units last year, but we have a long way to go to alleviate the affordability crisis. I was happy to hear the Mayor’s commitment to creating thousands of additional homes, and I look forward to those plans coming before the City Council.”
On Infrastructure: “District Three has historic homes – and historic infrastructure. I look forward to continued upgrades to our streets, sidewalks, storm drains, and underground pipes. San Diego is one of the nation’s most beautiful cities and our roadways and other infrastructure should contribute to our city’s attractiveness.”
On Public Safety: “San Diego is one of America’s safest big cities, but Mayor Gloria noted that violent crime is up 11% over last year. I applaud his commitment to ensuring we have the resources necessary to improve police response times and keep residents safe while also advancing reforms as necessary.”
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn represents San Diego’s Third Council District, including the communities of Downtown, Little Italy, Bankers Hill, Mission Hills, Middletown, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights, Old Town, South Park, and Golden Hill.
