(Credit: Alliance San Diego)
Measure targets vacant second homes, empowers voters to address housing shortage and strengthen city services
SAN DIEGO — Today, the San Diego City Council voted to advance the Empty Homes Tax to the ballot, giving voters the opportunity to decide whether vacant second homes should either be returned to the housing market or contribute funding to support essential city services.
The measure applies only to vacant second homes that sit empty for the majority of the year. It does not apply to primary residences, renters, long-term rental properties, military members on active duty, or homeowners facing hardship. The proposal affects fewer than one percent of properties citywide.
The Empty Homes Tax would begin at $8,000 per vacant second home annually, increasing to $10,000 in year two, with an additional surcharge for corporate-owned properties. Revenue generated would support housing, homelessness prevention, infrastructure, parks, libraries, and public safety.
“Today, we empowered San Diegans, forwarding the Empty Homes Tax to the ballot,” said San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava. “Should voters approve the measure, city services will be supported, or empty houses will be turned into homes. Either way the Empty Homes Tax is a win-win for San Diego and for San Diegans. The measure won’t address all our challenges, it is a step in the right direction.”
City leaders emphasized that addressing the housing shortage requires both building more housing and making better use of homes that already exist.
“In a city where housing is scarce, thousands of homes should not be sitting vacant,” said Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee. “The solution to our housing crisis isn’t just building more homes and working to lower costs — it’s using the homes that are already here, in plain sight, but not being used. Empty homes should be lived in, rented out, or sold to someone who will use them for their intended purpose.”
According to city data, more than 5,100 homes in San Diego sit vacant for much of the year — a number that rivals or exceeds the homes currently available for sale. Incentivizing vacant homeowners to rent or sell their properties would increase housing supply and ease upward pressure on costs.
“Today’s vote will have a direct impact on my life, and if the more than 5,100 homes left vacant in the city were put up for sale, my husband and I might actually have a shot at making San Diego our forever home, three times the chances we have now,” said Itzel Maganda Chavez, Civic Engagement Director for Alliance San Diego. “If these homes are also put back on the market for rent, San Diegans have more homes to choose from that make better sense for their commute, careers, and communities. Both of these options help San Diego significantly increase the housing supply and drive costs down — it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Public safety leaders also emphasized the connection between housing affordability and workforce stability.
“Firefighters stand with the Empty Homes Tax because it would generate revenue and make meaningful progress on affordability at a time when our members are struggling to afford homes in our city,” said George Duardo, President of San Diego City Fire Fighters, I.A.F.F. Local 145. “Firefighters put their lives on the line to keep San Diegans safe; the bare minimum they deserve is to be able to live in the city where they serve, not 90 minutes away because it’s where they can afford to rent or buy a home.”
Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who introduced the measure as part of the broader Homes for San Diegans campaign, emphasized that the proposal reflects months of community engagement and close collaboration with the City Treasurer’s Office and City Attorney’s Office, which retained outside expert counsel to ensure the measure’s legal foundation.
“There are people in this city working incredibly hard — sometimes two or three jobs — who don’t know if they will ever be able to afford a home in the place they love,” said Councilmember Elo-Rivera. “Meanwhile, more than 5,100 homes sit empty for most of the year. That isn’t right, and today we took a step toward changing it. This measure is simple: homes should be for San Diegans, not just for profit. Every home that comes back into use is a door opened for a family that gets to stay.”
If approved by voters, the measure would include independent financial audits and transparent public reporting to ensure accountability and oversight of revenue collection and expenditures.
The Empty Homes Tax is expected to appear on the upcoming municipal ballot, allowing San Diegans to weigh in directly on the future of housing fairness and neighborhood stability in the city.
Watch the press conference
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ABOUT ALLIANCE SAN DIEGO:
Alliance San Diego is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) community organization that is building collective power to create a more inclusive democracy, one where all people can participate with dignity in an environment of harmony, safety, equality and justice. We pursue this mission by developing leaders, engaging the community, advocating for policies, communicating strategically, and protecting human rights.