Residents urge council to protect homelessness services, parks and youth programs as budget choices loom

During public comment at the Feb. 10 special meeting on the IBA's FY2026 updated budget priorities, a wide cross-section of residents and organizations urged the City Council to protect homelessness-prevention and housing services, parks projects, arts and youth programs as the city addresses an estimated $258 million shortfall.

Gil Burra, deputy director of the Legal Aid Society San Diego, told the council eviction-prevention services combine legal assistance, emergency rental aid and housing navigation and asked the council not to cut the Eviction Prevention Program (EPP). "The best practices touted around the country for homelessness prevention are a combination of legal services, emergency rental assistance, housing navigation services, and also education outreach," he said, arguing that EPP helps tenants enforce rights under the city's tenant-protection ordinance.

Youth leaders from Mid CityCAN and Youth Will asked the council to preserve funding for Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park (the speakers said $1,750,000 is allocated for the project), to continue the Office of Child and Youth Success and to prioritize investments that benefit children and families. Multiple callers from Families for Safe Streets and Vision Zero advocates urged funding to improve street safety along critical school corridors and to use AB 43 authority to reduce school-zone speed limits.

Representatives from the Downtown San Diego Partnership and other business groups urged maintaining funding for SDPD staffing and downtown walking patrols, plus focused repairs such as street-light replacement to support safety and the urban core economy. Several callers also suggested options to raise revenue locally, including vacant commercial property fees, charging parking at beaches and regional parks, and examining unused fund balances cited in the FY24 comprehensive financial report.

Speakers raised concerns about proposed user fee increases for parks and public utilities and asked the council to balance cost recovery with affordability. A number of commenters recommended prioritizing revenue options that shift costs to visitors and higher-income users rather than cutting core services that serve vulnerable residents.

The clerk confirmed item 600 received seven web-form comments in opposition and two in favor; public comment then closed and the council moved to deliberations and a unanimous adoption of the IBA recommendation.

The public comments record provides a catalog of priorities and specific funding requests the council said it would consider as it works with the mayor on the FY2026 proposed budget.