May 20, 2019
Pacific Southwest Regional Housing Organization Honors San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez with Award for Excellence by an Elected Official
The San Diego Housing Commission nominated Council President Gómez for the recognition
SAN DIEGO, CA – Her leadership and advocacy for changes to City of San Diego law to provide more housing choices and opportunities for low-income families who receive federal rental assistance from the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) earned San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez an award today from a regional housing organization.
The Pacific Southwest Regional Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (PSWRC-NAHRO) recognized Council President Gómez with its “In Appreciation” award for her work in 2018 on the City of San Diego’s Source of Income Ordinance.
“This award reflects the importance of the protections the Source of Income Ordinance provides for families with low incomes. I thank PSWRC-NAHRO for this recognition,” Council President Gómez said.
SDHC nominated Council President Gómez for the award.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Council President Gómez, who has championed a variety of solutions to the shortage of affordable housing in the City of San Diego, including the Source of Income Ordinance. Her leadership on this important issue continues to make a difference for the families the San Diego Housing Commission serves,” SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said.
As a Councilmember, she introduced amendments to the San Diego Municipal Code that prohibit landlords from declining a tenant based only on the household receiving Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance. The full City Council adopted these amendments on July 31, 2018. Her colleagues unanimously elected her in December 2018 to serve as City Council President.
Under the new ordinance, which becomes enforceable on August 1, 2019:
- Landlords and property managers cannot advertise or state a preference for certain sources of income (e.g., advertise or state “no Section 8”).
- Landlords and property managers cannot refuse an application from a prospective tenant, charge a higher deposit, or treat them differently in any other way based on their source of income.
- The tenant must still meet other requirements for tenancy and have the financial resources to pay any rental amounts not covered by the voucher/subsidy.
- Landlords and property managers must include any rental payments made by the voucher/subsidy when determining whether the applicant meets the minimum income requirements.
- Landlords and property managers may ask what an applicant’s source of income is as long they do not discriminate based on that information.
- The source of income protections will apply to all tenancies except where the landlord lives in the building and would have to share a bathroom or kitchen with the prospective tenant.
The new ordinance included a one-year grace period for landlords to voluntarily comply, while outreach and education about the ordinance occurs. SDHC contracted with a third party to conduct education and outreach to landlords and tenants about the new Source of Income Ordinance. In addition, SDHC formed a Landlord Advisory Committee to address concerns and solicit feedback from select landlords about ways to further improve program administration.
The “In Appreciation Award” was anounced today at PSWRC-NAHRO’s annual conference in Anaheim, California.
The award recognizes “an elected or appointed official who demonstrated excellence as an advocate of housing programs by providing consistent support of housing activities, and developing and promoting financial, political and community support of housing.”
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Media Contacts:
Scott Marshall
Vice President, Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
619-578-7138
Corinne Wilson
Communications Manager
City Council President Georgette Gómez
619-236-6697
