Saturday, March 11, 2023
Our Time to Act United
Media Contact: Aidan Lin, Our Time to Act United
On March 11, nonprofit Our Time To Act United (OTTA United) hosted a rally and press conference to support more housing in the University Community Plan Update. San Diego is in a housing and climate crisis. We need more mixed-use, multi-family, high-density housing, paired with employment and transit, to tackle both issues at once.
“The housing crisis is an intersectional issue that affects our entire community. Solving the housing crisis means changing the way we develop our land to encourage high-density development that realistically plans for our future,” said Nicole Lillie, Housing Projects Director at Our Time to Act United. “Housing is a human right, it's time we start enacting policies and pursuing strategies that will actually achieve providing it."
"The vibrancy of the University area will be destroyed if people of all stages of life can't afford to live here,” said Rachel Graham, Housing and Transit Advocate. “Lack of housing means that young adults can't stay in the neighborhood where they grew up. A lack of housing means that seniors must choose between downsizing and remaining in their community. No one should have to leave an area because they can't afford it."
"We must take a holistic approach to solving the ongoing climate and housing crises concurrently,” said Mikey Knab, Policy Director at Climate Action Campaign. “I hope we can all agree that at the bare minimum everyone deserves affordable housing in close proximity to safe, reliable public transportation, good schools, family sustaining jobs, grocery stores, and green open spaces."
"As young people advocating for housing, we are aware that we may not reap the benefits of our efforts soon, but we aren't working and organizing for ourselves, we are planning for our future community members that wish to have an affordable home as they serve San Diego as powerful community leaders and trailblazers," said Yvania Rubio, Student at UC San Diego.
Rally attendees called upon the local community planning group, planning commission, and city council to support a Plan Update that allows for the most density in accordance with the Planning Department's smart growth principles. They also asked the broader San Diego community to come support housing across the city. The University Community is not the only one that needs more housing—we need it across all highest resource areas in San Diego.
