The City of San Diego and the County of San Diego are partnering to ensure survivors of domestic violence continue to have safe place to turn during times of crisis. 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently approved $1.5 million to continue operating the shelter, and I will ask the City Council to match that funding in the upcoming budget. This joint investment will keep the 164-bed facility operating through the next fiscal year. 

Since opening in 2024, it has served more than 300 individuals and families fleeing abuse. The shelter provides a confidential, secure place to stay while residents connect to counseling, legal support, and other services that help them stabilize and begin rebuilding their lives. 

Nearly 500 new homes are coming online across San Diego, and three housing milestones reached on the same day show how our city's pro-housing policies are helping build momentum and create more places for San Diegans to live. 

In Rancho Bernardo, we celebrated the opening of SkyLINE, a new transit-oriented affordable housing community built through a partnership between Affirmed Housing and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. The seven-story development provides 100 homes for lower-income families at the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station and replaces a portion of an underused parking lot with housing in a well-resourced neighborhood close to jobs and transit. The project was made possible through the City’s efforts to encourage housing near major transit and included a $5 million loan from the City of San Diego through our Bridge to Home program to help finance construction.

That same day in North Park, The Monroe opened with 137 new apartments in a walkable neighborhood close to restaurants, small businesses, and community spaces. Approved through our Complete Communities Housing Solutions program, the development also includes innovative mechanical parking stackers that allow cars to be parked vertically, increasing parking capacity within a smaller footprint. Programs like Complete Communities help add homes in walkable neighborhoods while supporting the infrastructure and public spaces that make those communities thrive.

Across town in Uptown, construction reached a major milestone at The Quince, a mixed-use development that will bring 262 homes, including affordable units, along with retail space serving the neighborhood and a new open air plaza. This project is also part of the City’s Complete Communities program.

Together, these projects show the progress San Diegans can now see in neighborhoods across the city as we continue using smart pro-housing policies to make it easier to build more homes in the places people want to live.

The United States Conference of Mayors has adopted two emergency resolutions calling for reforms to federal immigration enforcement and modernization of the nation’s immigration system. 

As Vice President of the Conference, I helped draft the bipartisan response alongside mayors from across the country following recent incidents that have raised concerns about federal enforcement practices and public trust in communities. 

The resolutions call for greater accountability in immigration enforcement, including requiring federal agents to clearly identify themselves, prohibiting the use of masks during operations, and using body-worn cameras when interacting with the public. The measures also urge an end to enforcement actions based solely on race, ethnicity, language, or location, and call for the restoration of protections that limit immigration actions at sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship. 

The Conference is also urging Congress and the Administration to work together on comprehensive immigration reform. The proposal includes modernizing the visa system, strengthening border security while preserving community policing, providing Dreamers a pathway to citizenship, and allowing long-term residents who are contributing to their communities to pursue legal status. 

America’s cities rely on the strength and contributions of immigrant communities. Mayors across the country are calling for reforms that uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and restore trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve. 

Earlier this year in my State of the City address, I shared how San Diego is a global city, and that world-class events continue choosing our city again and again. 

Just weeks after the announcement that San Diego will host Olympic soccer in 2028, we have another global sports milestone to celebrate: Switzerland and New Zealand officially selected San Diego as their Team Base Camp for the FIFA World Cup 2026! 

During the tournament, both national teams will call San Diego home as they train and prepare for matches during the world’s most watched sporting event. Their decision reflects our city’s world-class facilities, hospitality industry, and reputation as a destination where global events and international visitors feel welcome. Switzerland will train at the San Diego Jewish Academy, while New Zealand will use Torero Stadium at the University of San Diego as its training facility. 

In past World Cups, base camps function as private training headquarters where teams stay and practice between matches. Security and competitive considerations mean most sessions are closed to the public. Occasionally, though, teams do hold open training session for fans, or media day events, but those are not guaranteed and would be announced later by FIFA or the national teams. 

Hosting these teams will deliver an economic boost for our region, introducing the teams and their crews to local hotels, restaurants, and businesses while shining a global spotlight on San Diego. As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues, our city is ready to welcome the world. 

In last week’s trivia feature, we asked: Which San Diego neighborhood is home to the City’s official weather station that records many of our region’s temperature highs and heat records? 

Here’s how you voted: 

▪️ Downtown — 53.15% (59) 
▪️ Miramar — 36.94% (41) 
▪️ La Jolla — 9.91% (11) 

The correct answer is Downtown. San Diego’s primary official weather station used for many long-term climate records is located at San Diego International Airport Downtown. Data from this station is widely used by the National Weather Service to track temperatures and climate trends for the region. Miramar does have a weather station at MCAS Miramar, and it often records hotter inland temperatures during heat waves. However, it is not the primary "Station of Record" for the City of San Diego.

This week’s question: After celebrating nearly 500 new homes across three projects in San Diego, let’s test your knowledge about one of the city’s most famous homes. Which historic San Diego home, built in 1857, holds the distinction of being the city’s first two-story brick building, but is more famously known today for having served as a general store, a commercial theater, and even the San Diego County Courthouse? 

▪️ The Marston House 
▪️ The Whaley House 
▪️ Villa Montezuma 

Answer below or send your guess to AskTheMayor@sandiego.gov and check back next week to see if you got it right. 

Our in-house mill and pave crews resurfaced Wenrich Place between Lance Street and Bounty Street in Del Cerro, replacing a cracked and potholed roadway that previously scored a “serious” 18.29 on the Pavement Condition Index. 

Using data from the Citywide Street Condition Assessment and Pavement Management Plan, crews prioritize streets most in need of repair. The new asphalt provides a long-term fix and will prevent potholes from returning for years to come. 

There is important relief available for San Diego homeowners impacted by the 2024 storms and flooding. 

The Governor’s Office has confirmed that the January 2024 San Diego flood qualifies under the expanded CalAssist Mortgage Fund program. That means eligible disaster-affected homeowners may now receive up to 12 months of mortgage payments, paid directly to their mortgage servicer, with assistance totaling up to $100,000 that does not need to be repaid. 

The expansion increases the relief period from three months to a full year and broadens income eligibility so more families can qualify. This support is designed to help homeowners stabilize while they rebuild, navigate insurance claims, and recover from disaster impacts. 

Homeowners can review the full list of qualified disasters and apply at www.calassistmortgagefund.org. 

Downtown’s Civic Center Plaza is getting a vibrant refresh with Plaza Central — a new series of pop-up events bringing food, music, and art to the heart of the city. The activations are free and open to the public every Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a lively preview of the area’s long-term revitalization. 

 
Learn more about Plaza Central events.