Starting this week, I’ll be answering a question submitted by San Diegans in this new "Ask the Mayor" feature. This week's question is about affordability: "The cost-of-living has skyrocketed. What is the City doing to make San Diego more affordable?" 

It's a great question and one I think about every day. As Mayor, one of my primary targets to bring down the cost of living has been to address what is most people’s largest expense: housing. 

When I took office as Mayor in 2020, rents had been rising significantly year after year, largely caused by our severe housing shortage. We simply have made it too hard to get approval to build more homes for decades, and that meant what housing could get built was a lot more costly. 

We immediately created and passed policies to spur more home construction — especially for low- and middle-income residents — building on pro-housing state legislation that I championed during my time in the state Assembly, My administration has implemented: 

• Two Housing Action Packages with dozens of reforms that streamline the development process to speed housing construction. 

• Updates to community plans across San Diego, increasing capacity for new homes to be built without a complex, time-consuming approval process. 

• Two executive orders that cut the time to process permits for affordable housing and developments near transit from months to days and created more certainty around the process as an incentive. 

• The innovative Bridge to Home program, which provides the critical last bit of financing affordable housing projects need to get them under construction faster. 

This year, we're launching a new initiative to encourage the building of townhomes, rowhomes, and condos—ideal starter homes for first-time homebuyers. Additionally, our Housing Commission offers loans and grants to help families buy their first home. 

Beyond housing, we’re also doing what is within local government’s purview to bring down other household costs. We've introduced self-certification programs to make home improvements and solar installations quicker and more affordable. 

To help address childcare costs, we're cutting red tape for providers to increase their numbers to help lower costs.  

Additionally, we're upgrading cross-border infrastructure to streamline the movement of groceries and essential goods and offering sales-tax rebates through our Business Cooperation Program to incentivize grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods. 

Costs have increased for everyone, and I feel it not just as a resident but also as Mayor of a city whose budget has been significantly impacted by inflation. Families with cars know the impact of high gas costs on their budget. As Mayor, I have 4,500 vehicles to keep fueled. 

The rising cost of living is a national and global issue. The City can’t control the price of housing, groceries or gas. But that doesn’t mean we're not committed to doing everything within our power to make San Diego more affordable. 

Submit your question by emailing askthemayor@sandiego.gov or vote for one of the questions below, and I'll answer the top question next week.  

San Diego celebrated a huge win for essential business travel with Alaska Airlines’ inaugural nonstop flight from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport (DCA).  

This flight is a huge boon to the region’s key industries like defense, and securing it was truly a regional effort. The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, elected leaders across our region, and business partners like the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) all worked hard to land this coveted slot in the nation’s capitol. Special thanks to Senators Alex Padilla, Laphonza Butler, and Adam Schiff, as well as Representatives Scott Peters, Sara Jacobs, Juan Vargas, Mike Levin, and Darrell Issa for their support of the FAA reauthorization that paved the way for this flight.  

Until now, San Diego was the largest market without direct access to Reagan National Airport. This new route significantly boosts our local economy, with the Airport Authority estimating an additional $11 million annually from visitor spending. It also strengthens San Diego’s connection to federal partners, benefiting our defense, research, and innovation sectors. 

With this addition, Alaska Airlines now operates 41 of the airport's 86 total routes—the most of any airline. 

Starting May 1, San Diego’s transient occupancy tax (TOT)—also known as the hotel room tax—will increase following voter approval of Measure C. This adjustment will generate approximately $82 million annually, funding critical projects including homelessness programs, street repairs, and Convention Center improvements. Lodging operators and property managers will  receive notices outlining the changes. Full details and resources are available on the City’s website. 

Illicit fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of overdose deaths nationwide, including right here in San Diego. That’s why I have been calling for the need to permanently schedule Fentanyl and its analogues as Schedule 1 drug.

The Senate's recent, bipartisan approval of the HALT Fentanyl Act marks important progress, moving us closer to permanently classifying fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug—which will help strengthen enforcement, hold traffickers accountable, and stem the flow of this deadly poison into our neighborhoods. 

Too many lives and families have already been devastated by this drug. This legislation is essential to reducing the availability of fentanyl and protecting the health and safety of our community.