Transforming one of San Diego's most challenging civic properties into a community asset has reached a major milestone. The development team converting the long-vacant 101 Ash Street office tower into affordable housing has been awarded significant federal subsidies to support the project — a critical step in securing financing and moving construction forward.  

Under the plan, which was unanimously approved by the San Diego City Council, this site will be revitalized into 247 income-restricted homes for households earning between roughly 30% and 80% of area median income, along with retail space and a childcare center — all without requiring direct City funding. 

The federal support will help make the project financially viable and accelerate the timeline.

Converting this building — long unused and costly to maintain — into affordable homes is a tangible example of how smart policy and strategic investment can create lasting community benefit.

If you make minimum wage in the City of San Diego, you just got a raise — from $17.25 to $17.75 per hour, putting San Diego’s local minimum wage above California’s $16.90 statewide rate and well above the $7.25 federal minimum wage. 

Long before serving as Mayor, I authored the City of San Diego’s Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance to raise wages and guarantee paid sick leave for workers across all industries. When the ordinance was referendized by corporate special interests, voters overwhelmingly supported it. 

It created a system that adjusts wages automatically based on the cost of living, providing stability and predictability for both workers and employers. Since those automatic adjustments began, San Diego’s minimum wage has continued to rise above the statewide minimum, helping workers keep pace with inflation while reinforcing our city’s commitment to fairness and economic opportunity. 

In addition to higher wages, the ordinance guarantees earned sick leave, giving workers the ability to care for themselves or their family members without sacrificing a paycheck. This combination reflects a balanced approach that supports working families and strengthens San Diego’s economy. 

The Iris at San Ysidro is now home to families and individuals who can put down roots in one of San Diego’s most important border communities. 

This new housing community was one of the original seven developments supported through Bridge to Home, the City’s gap-financing program designed to move projects from concept to construction faster. In this case, the City invested $5 million to help turn an empty lot into high-quality, affordable homes for San Diegans.

This project also benefited from Affordable Housing Permit Now. Created through an executive order I signed in 2023, the program cuts red tape and streamlines approvals for affordable housing. 

The Iris strengthens San Ysidro beyond housing alone. As part of the development, Howard Lane Park, which is right across the street, was improved. Investments like this recognize that housing and public spaces go hand in hand in building strong communities. 

For the first time in more than a decade, San Diego is seeing a real shift in the rental market. New reporting shows average rents across the county have fallen for six consecutive months — an important signal in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. 

Rents are still too high for too many San Diegans. And this moment matters because it reinforces a basic truth: When we #BuildMoreHomes, housing costs begin to stabilize. Decades of under-building left our region with too few options, driving prices up faster than wages and squeezing families across the city. 

Recent increases in housing production are starting to change that dynamic. Higher vacancy rates are giving renters more options and slowing the rapid rent growth San Diego experienced in recent years. That shift is not accidental. It reflects deliberate choices to cut red tape, streamline approvals, and move housing projects from planning to construction faster. 

We are continuing the work to fix the damn roads — and that means new street repairs are now underway in Skyline Hills, Paradise Hills, Otay Mesa, Encanto, and communities across Eastern San Diego. 

Through the City’s slurry seal program, our Transportation Department is resurfacing streets to slow deterioration and extend the life of our roads. This preventative work helps us maintain streets earlier, avoid more disruptive and costly reconstruction later, and make smarter use of taxpayer dollars. 

Safe streets, clean neighborhoods, and reliable infrastructure matter to everyday life. We are making steady progress, neighborhood by neighborhood, to maintain our roads and keep San Diego moving forward. 

In our last trivia feature, we asked: Which iconic San Diego landmark was once home to the world’s largest indoor saltwater swimming pool and was reportedly used by actor Johnny Weissmuller for swim practice? 

Here’s how you voted: 

✅ The Plunge pool at Belmont Park — 90.06% 
▪️ The pool at Hotel del Coronado — 6.21% 
▪️ Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina’s pool — 3.73% 

The correct answer is The Plunge pool at Belmont Park. When it opened in 1925, The Plunge was considered the largest indoor saltwater swimming pool in the world. The historic Natatorium is famously linked to Olympic swimmer and actor Johnny Weissmuller, who reportedly trained there before becoming Hollywood’s original Tarzan. 

This week’s question: Which San Diego neighborhood was originally developed as a streetcar suburb and is now known for its historic Craftsman homes and vibrant business district?  

▪️ North Park 
▪️ Ocean Beach 
▪️ University Heights 

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

A new year brings new opportunities to enjoy San Diego’s parks, trails, and open spaces. Parks and Recreation is welcoming 2026 with the next Park Talk SD meeting on Wednesday, January 7, at 6:00 p.m. 

Park Talk SD is a bi-monthly public meeting where residents can hear updates directly from department staff, learn about ongoing projects, and share ideas to help shape the future of neighborhood parks and recreation spaces. 

Meetings are held via Zoom on the first Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Agendas, past recordings, budget updates, and the full events calendar are available online, and residents can sign up to receive future updates through Constant Contact. 

The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is inviting residents to help shape the future of recreation in San Diego. Community input will guide how recreation centers operate, what programs are offered, and how residents receive information about them.

The Parks and Recreation Department is inviting community leaders and representatives to 45-minute Zoom focus groups to share ideas, flag barriers to participation, and improve how we communicate about programs. Sessions include a brief presentation, Q&A, and an interactive survey. Registration is required. 

Upcoming dates (by Council Districts): 
 

Upcoming Virtual Focus Groups

• Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026: All Council Districts
  11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026: All Council Districts
  4 p.m.

Register to attend: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8494849/San-Diego-Parks-and-Rec-Community-Focus-Group-Registration 

Questions: sdparksneeds@keenindependent.com 

You can also take the Community Recreation Needs Survey at sandiego.gov/parksurvey by February 28, 2026.

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.