Mayor Todd Gloria's 9-Day Housing Permit System Selected as National Model as City Implements SB 79 Transit Housing

Bloomberg Philanthropies Selects San Diego as National Benchmark for Housing Permit Reform

SAN DIEGO, California — Marking a national urban planning triumph in late October 2026, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies has officially selected the City of San Diego as the anchor model city for a nationwide housing production initiative. Under the program, San Diego will lead a consortium of municipal planners to export its acclaimed 'Affordable Housing Permit Now' framework to up to 30 major U.S. cities, helping municipalities dismantle bureaucratic bottlenecks and accelerate affordable residential construction.

Enacted through mayoral executive orders, San Diego’s streamlined permitting system has slashed review timelines for 100% deed-restricted affordable housing projects from over nine months down to an average of just nine business days, unlocking billions of dollars in private and non-profit residential development across the region.

City Council Enacts Phased Implementation Ordinance for State Transit-Housing Law SB 79

Concurrently, the San Diego City Council approved comprehensive regulatory guidelines implementing California Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) across local planning districts. The statutory framework streamlines approvals for dense, mixed-use residential developments located within a half-mile of high-frequency transit stations, including San Diego Trolley stops and rapid bus corridors.

City planning directors emphasized that clustering attainable housing near public transit hubs empowers residents to commute car-free, combats regional greenhouse gas emissions, and maximizes the return on municipal mass transit investments throughout Mission Valley, University City, and the Mid-City corridor.

Bridge to Home Program Injects $15 Million into Permanent Supportive Housing

Reinforcing municipal homeless solutions, Mayor Gloria and the San Diego Housing Commission approved an additional $15 million round of gap-financing under the Bridge to Home program. The capital funds directly support non-profit developers constructing four new supportive housing communities in Barrio Logan, North Park, and Clairemont, providing permanent homes paired with on-site mental healthcare and addiction counseling for hundreds of previously unsheltered residents.