Escondido struggles to meet state mandate requiring the city to build 9,607 new housing units by 2029

Jane Kim
Posted

ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — Escondido is struggling to meet a state mandate to build 9,607 new housing units by 2029, with only a fraction of the homes permitted so far.

The state of California required the city to build the units back in 2021. However, the city has only permitted 2,309 homes, which is less than a quarter of the goal.

Mayor Dane White said housing availability and accessibility remain top priorities, but resources are limited.

"We're facing the same challenge that virtually every other city in the county is and that we can't keep up with the numbers that they're requiring from us and in part that's because we just didn't have the resources here to do it," White said.

To address the issue, the city added six more planners to work on housing. The positions are funded through Measure I, a one-cent sales tax increase voters approved during the last election.

White noted other hurdles exist.

"I think that a lot of cities are facing the same challenge because of the regulations in the state of California," White said.

The shortage of available homes creates challenges for buyers trying to enter the market. George Simon has lived in Escondido for about a decade and bought his house in 2018. Since then, his home has almost doubled in value.

"I love Escondido. My wife and I love being here," Simon said.

Simon noted that getting into the market can be difficult for his friends who are first-time homebuyers.

"If I were trying to buy our house right now, we could never afford it," Simon said.

Simon is now taking the next step in his home ownership journey and hopes others can find similar opportunities in Escondido.

"We're actually just about to sell our house, and that's really exciting, and I'm really grateful for the appreciation that our home has accrued over the years," Simon said.

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