San Diego Not Meeting State Housing Goals

Based on the number of permits issued for new construction in the last year, the city must triple its production to meet the targets set by the state in the latest round of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.

2 minute read

July 20, 2022, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


According to an article by Andrew Keatts in Voice of San Diego, the Southern California city, like others around the state, is falling far short of its state-mandated housing construction goal. “The city now needs to triple the number of housing permits it issues in each of the next seven years to meet the state target – a level it hasn’t come close to reaching anytime recently.” As Keatts states, “The city issued permits for 5,033 homes last year, short of the 13,505 the city needs to build each year to achieve the total assigned to it in a statewide housing program called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.”

Yet “In a progress report headed before the City Council’s housing committee Thursday, city staff did not mention the city was far behind meeting its housing plan.” In the last eight-year cycle of the RHNA, “the state assigned San Diego 88,096 new homes; it ended up issuing permits for just 44,531, according to city reports.” This year, the state cracked down on city housing plans that did not sufficiently address how local jurisdictions would meet state goals, sending many of them back to the drawing board. 

Local leaders say some factors inhibiting more housing production are beyond the city’s control, and that the RHNA’s focus on the number of units built (with a large home counting the same as a small studio) obscuring the actual number of people new construction will house. 

California cities aren’t the only ones struggling to meet demand for housing. A recent report found that the United States is short of close to 3.8 million housing units.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 in Voice of San Diego

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

March 28 - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

March 28 - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

March 28 - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.