![]() The developer projects rent to be up to 25 percent cheaper than the surrounding area, enticing people who can’t afford a $3,000 monthly rent. YES: With a deficit of nearly 100,000 housing units in the San Diego region, it shouldn’t be difficult for a developer to find 443 households willing to rent the micro-units. Bicycles, ride-hailing companies, and car rentals are additional options if public transportation is not suitable for a trip. The apartments will be close to trolley stops so residents will have convenient access to public transportation and need not own a vehicle. YES: While many renters would not consider an apartment building that lacks parking, it seems likely that the developer can attract a sufficient number of tenants who do not value onsite parking. Continued investments in more transportation options and public safety should help increase that percentage. According to a Downtown San Diego Partnership study in 2022, 61 percent of respondents cite the walkability of downtown as the reason they enjoy living or working downtown. Rent for this project is also expected to be 20 to 25 percent cheaper than other units in the downtown area, which adds to the appeal. YES: There’s such a large demand for housing that having no parking shouldn’t impact the ability to rent the units, especially if they are near transit. It is also somewhat unfair to other nearby residents that seek and use public parking, as the parking search radius will be greatly expanded. It is risky to develop such a large-scale central business district located project without parking, without more walkable jobs nearby. YES: Given enough time for the market to absorb these somewhat unusual (non-car owning) tenants, it can be successful, although positive cash flow may be a challenge given the longer than normal lease-up period. ![]() And that will have to be in place for this experiment to grow beyond a pilot project and outside of the downtown area. However, New York City and other high-density communities have much more extensive and convenient mass transit systems than San Diego does. There is a need for affordable rental units and our downtown area is probably the best for more density - plus we have mass transit closely available in the downtown area. I hope we can reduce our dependence on personal cars and rely on alternative transportation options: from public transport, bicycles and scooters, to electric vehicles and self-driving services. The broader policy question is more interesting: Should we allow for buildings with little parking? In the short run, the shortage will drive up parking prices. YES: Due to the housing shortage, any apartment building is bound to be in high demand. We need to construct more housing units in San Diego without making neighborhoods unlivable. Even if the builder could find tenants willing to go along with this, it imposes a huge cost on the people already in the neighborhood who did not sign up for this deal. I worry that there may be a bit of wishful thinking involved in such planning. ![]() NO: The idea seems to be that if we make it an incredible burden to park, people will stop using cars. Gas prices are getting out of reach and are not likely to get back under $5 per gallon. If the target market is those who work downtown and who do not want to drive cars, they will walk and bike and use Uber or Lyft when going to surrounding neighborhoods. YES: It is clear that more housing is needed downtown and with micro-units, this would serve as a quasi-affordable housing complex.
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