Measure A in Plain English: A Popular Goal, But a Flawed Ordinance
Nobody likes the idea of homes sitting "empty" during a housing crisis.
San Diego is expensive. Families are struggling. Renters are stretched thin. Young people wonder if they will ever be able to afford to stay here. So when City Hall politicians say Measure A will “tax empty homes” and help housing, it may sound appealing at first.
But voters are not being asked to vote on a slogan.
They are being asked to vote on a 28-page ordinance that creates a huge new tax, gives City Hall broad enforcement powers, sends the money into the City’s General Fund instead of a Housing Fund, and puts the burden on property owners to prove they do not owe the tax.
That is why San Diegans should read the fine print — and vote No on Measure A.
What Measure A Actually Does
Measure A would create a new “Empty Homes Tax” on residential properties that are not an owner’s primary residence and are vacant for more than 182 days in a calendar year.
The tax would be:
- $8,000 in 2027
- $10,000 in 2028 and future years
- Even higher for certain corporate-owned properties
- Increased annually for inflation beginning in 2029
Supporters say the goal is to push vacant homes back into use. If owners rent them, sell them, or occupy them, the argument goes, more housing becomes available.
That is the popular idea.
But the language itself is where the problems begin.
The Money Is Not Locked Into Housing
Measure A is being sold as a housing solution. But the tax revenue is not placed into a dedicated affordable housing fund.
Instead, the money goes into the City’s General Fund, where City Hall politicians can spend it on general municipal services.
That matters.
If Measure A were really about guaranteeing new affordable housing, rental assistance, or homelessness programs, the ordinance could have required the money to go there.
It does not.
The Burden of Proof Is on You
Measure A does not simply say the City must prove a home is taxable before taking action.
Instead, property owners must prove they qualify for an exemption or exclusion. And you must do that, every year!
If the City says the tax is owed, the owner may have to provide documentation, respond to audits, challenge assessments, and prove the City wrong.
That includes proving a home was a primary residence, proving a lease was valid and occupied, proving a family member lived there, or proving that an absence qualified under one of the ordinance’s limited exceptions.
In plain English: under Measure A, even people who should not owe the tax may still have to prove it. And since the City wants $10,000 from you, guess which way they're likely to lean?
The Rules Are Not Fully Written Yet
Measure A gives an unelected government bureaucrat authority to create rules, regulations, interpretations, and guidelines to implement and enforce the tax.
That means voters are being asked to approve the tax before San Diegans know exactly what documents will be required, how exemptions will be reviewed, how audits will be handled, or how aggressively the City will enforce the measure.
That is not a small detail.
For a tax this large — up to $10,000 per home, or more for some properties — voters deserve clear rules before they vote, not after.
A Good Goal Does Not Excuse a Bad Ordinance
Some may think there is a debate to be had about vacant homes and housing affordability.
But Measure A is not a clean, simple, accountable housing policy. It is a costly new tax bureaucracy with broad enforcement powers and no guarantee that the money will actually be used to build housing or lower rents.
San Diegans should not give City Hall a blank check.
They should not approve a measure that creates new paperwork traps, new privacy concerns, and new opportunities for mistakes and abuse.
The goal may sound popular.
The ordinance is flawed.
Vote No on Measure A.
