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2019 is an important year for San Diego as we commemorate our 250th anniversary. We became the city we are today with ideas that were big, bold and groundbreaking. In 2019, we must tap into that same spirit to address the challenges that define our time. #SOTCSD 
A housing crisis we must tackle. Communities we must lift up. An environment we must protect. These are the issues that will define this year, and help shape our next 250.
Now more than ever it’s important that San Diego works together as one city. Just look at Washington, D.C., to see the alternative.
Federal leaders are abandoning their responsibilities – and have literally shut down the U.S. Government – because they can’t find common ground. These political games are affecting real people.
The @CityofSanDiego has been working with nonprofits, @SanDiegoCounty and @CAgovernment to provide shelter to migrants being dropped on our streets by federal immigration agents – and prevent this humanitarian crisis from becoming a San Diego crisis.
San Diegans have big hearts and we’re going to reflect that in how we address this migrant crisis. But it’s time for the federal government to do its job!
Our national landscape has become one that seeks to divide us – by political party, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation – and define us by who we vote for, where we were born or what language we speak. We must reject this notion.
Striving for equality, celebrating our diversity and being proud of what makes us unique is what San Diego is all about. But let us never allow our differences to blind us to the common humanity we all share. We cannot achieve the goal of inclusion using the tools of division.
San Diego, we are stronger than the national political division. We are smarter than the partisan rhetoric. And we are better together than we are apart. The state of our city is strong, and united, we will make it even stronger!
Homelessness is not merely an issue in California. It is THE issue. If we want different results in San Diego, we must continue to break away from the old ways of doing things.
Some say they support more homeless services.
They just want them somewhere else.
Some claim they want to support new solutions.
Then throw up roadblocks to derail progress.
Some say we need to study the problem further.
Which just kicks the can down the road.
They just want them somewhere else.
Some claim they want to support new solutions.
Then throw up roadblocks to derail progress.
Some say we need to study the problem further.
Which just kicks the can down the road.
Moving people into a home is the ultimate goal, but for too long City Hall made a mistake by acting like it is the ONLY solution, and waited for more housing to be built before taking action to help people off the street. We are not waiting any longer.
Our approach is housing FIRST, but not housing ONLY. So last year we implemented the “Connect, Support, House” strategy to reduce homelessness. Lives have been changed as a result.
Safe parking programs, storage centers and bridge shelters are the lifelines that homeless individuals need to reconnect to a better tomorrow. Officials from other cities are visiting to see what we’re accomplishing. Many now use San Diego as a model.
San Diego’s message is making its way to the State Capitol. Mayor @Kevin_Faulconer and @CABig11 led an effort to call for more help from the state for homeless solutions. Working together with state legislators, they secured $500 million for cities struggling with homelessness.
The state is quickly becoming one of our strongest partners on homelessness. The governor’s new budget includes major funding for programs SD has spearheaded over the last year – temporary shelters and housing navigation centers. Thank you to @CAgovernment for its support
Some San Diegans may fear homeless programs and affordable housing coming to their community. But saying “Not in my backyard” is saying “Yes” to homelessness in our canyons, our parks and on our streets.
San Diego, we need to say, “Yes!” to doing what’s right.
To tackle the homeless crisis at its core, we must address the mental health crisis. @SanDiegoCounty is tasked with maintaining the region’s health and welfare. We need its help to get things back on track.
In 2018 our region lost dozens of hospital beds dedicated to serving individuals suffering from mental illness. And we’re at risk of losing even more, further straining our emergency response system.
First responders do everything they can to help the homeless. But police officers and firefighters are not doctors, psychiatric experts or trained mental health professionals. Relying on them to be the safety net for people suffering from mental illness is the wrong approach.
The City is taking a new approach. The state is stepping up. Now it is time for @SanDiegoCounty to do the same. We need more psychiatric beds, more specialists in the field helping people, and more long-term housing that includes mental health services.
Government can’t build its way out of the housing crisis. We need to get government out of the way – so constructing homes becomes easier, less expensive and faster. Here’s what we’ve done so far with Mayor @Kevin_Faulconer’s Housing SD plan:
We’ve significantly streamlined San Diego’s development system. This year we want to radically overhaul the system itself.
Five years ago Mayor @Kevin_Faulconer put his #OneSanDiego platform into action – and followed it up with record neighborhood investments. @CityofSanDiego is building parks, fire stations, rec centers and libraries at a pace San Diego has never seen.
We tripled infrastructure investments since Mayor Faulconer took office. Examples include:
• 35 parks toward the #50Parksin5 initiative
• 9 new fire stations
• 3 new libraries, including Mission Hills/Hillcrest and San Ysidro
• Bay Terraces Community Center opening this year
• 35 parks toward the #50Parksin5 initiative
• 9 new fire stations
• 3 new libraries, including Mission Hills/Hillcrest and San Ysidro
• Bay Terraces Community Center opening this year
.@Kevin_Faulconer pledged to fix 1,000 miles of streets in 5 years. The @CityofSanDiego surpassed that goal 2 years ahead of schedule. And we’re not stopping. At the current pace, we will have repaired nearly half of San Diego’s entire street network by 2020!
SD is the safest big city in the US in large part due to our brave officers. With the new police recruitment campaign, we’re working to hire the best and brightest to @SanDiegoPD. We’re committed to working with the Council to ensure SDPD is working for everyone in our community.
Every part of our city should be a place residents are proud to call home. #CleanSD crews have removed more than 2,700 tons of trash citywide, enough to fill up your curbside trash bin 40,000 times. In 2019, you’ll see more crews and more cleanups.
San Diegans are committed to combating climate change locally. Through the City’s landmark Climate Action Plan, we’re taking bold steps to ensure San Diego is on a path to a greener future. And there’s more coming in 2019!
Mayor Faulconer is moving forward with plans to make it easier to get around without a car, like bringing the Downtown Mobility Plan to life. Bicyclists and scooter riders can now safely navigate city streets without fear! Just ask @danielscl
California leads the country on environmental protection, and San Diego leads California.
Next month Mayor @Kevin_Faulconer will ask the City Council to say “Yes” to a joint powers entity to provide green energy to the entire region using community choice energy.
.@SanDiegoAirport connects our region to the world. But our region, in a major way, is disconnected from our airport. We can do better. Working with regional leaders, we will create a state-of-the-art transportation hub that will FINALLY connect the trolley to the airport!
In 2019, we must welcome more housing and homeless solutions. We must take more steps to ensure that every neighborhood gets their fair share. We must lead the climate action revolution. As one city, we can get these things done. All it takes is for all of us, to say: “Yes.”
Learn more about Mayor Faulconer’s plan for San Diego in 2019. bit.ly/2019sotcfactsh…
