On July 16th the City Council will vote on Kevin Faulconer’s proposal to forever change San Diego’s Municipal Code — residential zoning ordinances — to legalize the use of residential dwellings as Airbnb mini-hotels — short term vacation rentals.
There are over 10,000 homes in San Diego that have been turned into Airbnb mini-hotels for tourists. Kevin Faulconer wants to take even more San Diego houses and use them for tourist lodging.
Kevin Faulconer is doing this despite the fact that San Diego’s residents and economy have struggled — for over a decade — under crushing housing costs because of a severe housing shortage.
In what can only be described as an act of reckless incompetence, Kevin Faulconer plans to allow everyone who has a “primary residence” in San Diego to rent that residence to tourists — use it as an Airbnb mini-hotel STVR — for 6 months out of the year — AND to also allow anyone and everyone who has a “secondary residence” in San Diego to turn that San Diego home into an Airbnb mini-hotel — a short term vacation rental — for tourists — transients.
Kevin Faulconer– and Airbnb and its lobbyists — call this a “compromise”. We call it trying to pull a fast one on San Diego citizen residents.
Think about this.
Why is Kevin Faulconer doing this? Who is he doing this for? Who benefits from this so-called “compromise”? Because it isn’t ordinary San Diegans, that’s for sure.
Follow the money.
First — we know the BIGGEST beneficiaries of Kevin Faulconer’s giveaway of our neighborhoods are short term vacation rental platforms like Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway — and STVR operators like, Jonah Mechanic, owner of Seabreeze Vacation Rentals, Nancy Kramer of Nancy’s Vacation Rentals and Bluewater Vacation Homes — and their lobbyists, Craig Benedetto, Ben Haddad and Jim Madaffer. All of whom are big campaign contributors — of course.
Second — ask yourself, who can afford to NOT live in their “primary residence” for six months out of the year or rent out a “secondary residence” in San Diego 365 days a year — much less own a “secondary” residence?
And ask yourself – is it a “residence” if it’s being used like a hotel to lodge transient tourists and not San Diego residents?
Over half the residents of San Diego are renters.
What happens when homes are turned into hotels? Who loses?
Hard working San Diego residents, that’s who. Citizens – workers, who pay rents that are already too high. Citizens – workers, who struggle to feed their families, to make ends meet and make a mortgage or rent payment every month.
San Diego has a finite number of residential dwellings. As we write this, San Diego’s housing shortfall is 35,000 to 40,000 residential dwellings and growing — rapidly.
So Kevin Faulconer plans to allow anyone and everyone – individuals, corporations, partnerships, LLCs, LLPs, trusts, — who have a “primary residence” in San Diego to rent it to tourists for half the year as an Airbnb mini-hotel — short term vacation rental.
AND — as a bonus — he plans to allow anyone and everyone who has a “secondary residence” in San Diego to rent it to tourists — to use it as a short term vacation rental, an Airbnb mini-hotel — ALL YEAR ROUND.
We can’t believe we have to tell our Mayor this.
Transients are not residents!
Please, tell us you know this Kevin Faulconer
.
TOURISTS ARE TRANSIENTS – by definition.
RESIDENTIAL ZONES ARE – by designation and definition – created, designed and built FOR RESIDENTS.
Transients using residential homes for lodging — sleeping, eating, partying, whatever — ARE STILL TRANSIENTS, Kevin Faulconer!
If you’re using a “secondary residence” as a hotel for transients, IT IS NO LONGER A RESIDENCE!
But don’t just take our word for it, ask any honest and objective land use attorney, urban planner or zoning expert.
Or ask the California Supreme Court or the California Court of Appeal.
Miller v Board of Public Works (1925), 195 Cal. 477 cited in Ewing v City of Carmel-by-the-Sea (1991), 234 Cal.App.3d 1579
We are completely dumb struck – flabbergasted!
Is Kevin Faulconer this . . . ignorant? Is he so detached from regular San Diegans that he can’t see what he’s doing?
Let’s say that again. In the midst of a protracted housing crisis Kevin Faulconersuggests we use our precious residential housing stock — in our quiet, safe, clean, friendly neighborhoods — as tourist accommodations.
He’s proposing that we allow those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford a home or homes in San Diego to convert one of those homes to an Airbnb mini-hotel — short term vacation rental for six (6) months a year and anyone and everyone who owns a “secondary residence” in San Diego to use it as an Airbnb mini-hotel – short term vacation rental all year round.
Why?
Because these individuals, corporations, LLPs, LLCs, trusts, partnerships who have a “secondary residence” want to make MORE MONEY.
And they can make A LOT more money renting these residential homes in residential zones to tourists – transients – than they can renting them to hard working, resident citizens of San Diego.
Make no mistake — Kevin Faulconer is doing this for the money. He is doing it for his own political and personal gain. Just like the rest of the City Councilmembers who have failed and refused to enforce the law. Yes you — Councilmembers Christopher Ward, Chris J Cate, Scott Sherman, and Mark Kersey.
Here’s the kicker.
Kevin Faulconer proposes NO LIMITS on turning homes in Mission Beach into Airbnb mini-hotels. He is throwing away — not only the historic community of Mission Beach, but its residents too! He is saying Mission Beach is a lost cause.
If Mission Beach is a lost cause – IT’S BECAUSE FAULCONER FAILED AND REFUSED TO ENFORCE THE LAW!
Kevin Faulconer actually created the problem he purports to be solving! This sounds familiar – doesn’t it?
So ask yourself – is your neighborhood next? Will he sell out Hillcrest? Mission Hills? Barrio Logan? North Park? Mira Mesa? La Jolla? Golden Hill? Pacific Beach? Little Italy? Downtown?
Who’s next!?
Kevin Faulconer lost the Chargers. He ignored the homeless crisis. He disregarded the Grand Jury’s warnings about the impending Hepititas A outbreak. He literally did nothing until the problem got to be so incredibly bad — people died — that it couldnt be ignored — by anyone — even him.
And you ask – what next?
Well this is it. Kevin Faulconer is selling our neighborhoods to the highest bidder. He intends to sell out San Diegans – again!
Help us stop him!
Post on Nextdoor, call, message, email or snail mail Kevin Faulconer and City Council members. Tell them you don’t want San Diego homes turned into hotels; you don’t want your neighborhood turned into a commercial hotel zone! Tell him to protect the residents, workers and community of San Diego!
Tell him to do his job! Tell him to do what he is obligated to do as Mayor! Tell him to protect the citizens of our community — of San Diego.
Tell Kevin Faulconer his plan to change our residential zoning laws and turn our neighborhoods into tourist zones is FOLLY!
Tell Kevin Faulconer our homes and NEIGHBORHOODS and communities are NOT FOR SALE and that there are some things MONEY CAN’T BUY!!
And, if you can, please donate now to help up broadcast the truth about his ill-conceived and reckless plan.