By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 24, 2023 (San Diego) - County Supervisors approved setting aside $32 million in state and County funds Tuesday to help quickly create housing for people experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of homelessness and $4.6 million a year in services to support them.

Source:  Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Laura

May 12, 2023 (Los Angeles) - Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced that an insurance company offering home warranties will refund Californians deceived by a misleading mailer sent to hundreds of thousands of consumers. An investigation by the California Department of Insurance found that Response Indemnity Company of California worked with an unlicensed marketing company that mailed a “final notice” to consumers falsely warning that their home warranty was expiring. Because of the Department’s action, Response Indemnity will allow consumers to cancel the home warranty and receive a refund if the consumer purchased the warranty because of the mailer.

East County News Service

April 11, 2023 (Mt. Helix) – Atkinson Plumeria Farm in La Mesa will be hosting a plumeria cutting and tropical plant sale this weekend, April 15-16.

Eleven vendors will be selling hundreds of cultivars,  thousands of cuttings and rooted plants from small to large in a many different colors; some as low as $5.These are water-wise plants.

Plus there will be other tropicals such as hibiscus, air plants, hoyas, heliconia, ginger, and more.

Paying by e-check is free, quick and secure

Pay by April 10 to avoid penalties

East County News Service

April 7, 2023 (San Diego) - San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister reminded property owners Thursday that they have twelve days left to pay the second installment of their 2022-2023 property taxes before they are charged a late penalty. 

Taxpayers can quickly and easily pay their bills online at sdttc.com. They will not be charged a convenience fee if they pay by e-check, or electronic check.  

“So far, 47.90% of taxpayers have paid $1.9 billion in second installment payments,” said McAllister.  “Property tax bills are due on April 10. To avoid a 10% penalty plus $10 fee we encourage property owners to go online and pay their second installment before the deadline.” 

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 14, 2023 (San Diego) - County officials want San Diegans to help turn a house―or rather, the County’s draft housing blueprint―into a “home” by filling it with their opinions and advice.

“Cohousing is about living the good life while using less of the earth’s resources, and having a good time doing it.” --Charles Durrett

East County News Service

March 9, 2023 (Ramona, CA) -- Charles Durrett, a leading architect in the field of sustainable community and cohousing, will be hosting a free public presentation on the future of this innovative housing concept, with a focus on the potential for a new cohousing community in Ramona.

The event is open to the public and will take place on March 16 at 6 p.m. in the Ramona Community Center, 434 Aqua Lane in Ramona. You’re invited to come and be part of planning a sustainable community and cohousing in Ramona.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CC-NC-SA via Bing

February 16, 2023 (Washington D.C.) - To help homeowners during this time of rising interest rates, the FHA has announced that its programs to help homeowners impacted by COVID-19 has been extended to help ALL eligible borrowers who are struggling to avoid foreclosure, regardless of the reason for their hardship. These tools will be available for at least the next 18 months.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 2 million homeowners were able to stay in their homes thanks to programs that allowed them to obtain loan modications or forbearances.

“Although the pandemic has ended, the economic effects will remain a challenge for the foreseeable future,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “These impactful and effective foreclosure prevention tools will help struggling borrowers find the right option to help them get back on their feet and keep them in their homes. These tools have been so successful already, which is why FHA worked to enhance them further and include more borrowers.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo and artwork credits: City of La Mesa and La Mesa Chamber of Comemrce.

February 3, 2023 (La Mesa) – The site of La Mesa’s former police station will soon be home to 147 affordable apartment homes. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site at 8181 Allison Avenue on January 24.

By Christianne McCormick

Photo: Project approved for 4757 Palm Ave. in La Mesa’s downtown village, courtesy City of La Mesa

January 23, 2023 (La Mesa) -- On January 10, La Mesa’s City Council ratified the Design Review Board’s approval of the Palm Avenue Apartments, which are slated to be built at the same site where the historic Randall Lamb building burned down during the 2020 George Floyd riots. The vote was 4-0, with Councilmember Laura Lothian abstaining because her office is close to the site.  

The development proposed by Palm Street Ventures LLC has brought about much debate among La Mesa residents. The five-story building would house 64 rental units, with only 29 parking spaces – less than one for each unit.  There will also be room for at least one business in the building, where apartment rents are expected to start at around $1,000 for units designated as affordable and run from $2,100 to $2,900 for other units, per the developer, Palm Street Ventures LLC.

By Melinda Myers

Photo: the strong stems of Doubleshot snapdragons produce a plethora of stunning orange flowers all season; photo courtesy of All-American Selections.

January 3, 2023 (San Diego) -- It’s never too early to start planning new additions to this year’s gardens and containers. Start compiling your list now so you are ready to place your seed order or buy plants early when the selection is the greatest.

East County News Service

 December 4, 2022 (San Marcos) – The battle to protect nearly 2,000 acres in San Diego’s North County from development is over. Two years after voters approved ballot Measure B to block construction of the controversial Newland Sierra housing project previously approved by San Diego’s Board of Supervisors, one of the project’s leading opponents, Golden Door spa, has acquired the property to preserve it as open space and wildlife habitat for generations to come. 

 “We are excited to finally secure this remarkable benefit for climate action initiatives,” said Kathy Van Ness, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Golden Door.  “Protecting this property reflects our deep commitment to sustainability, which we believe is part of our responsibility to our community and beyond.  Caring for the incredible resources on this site is a way we can truly contribute to our shared climate action goals.”

 Nathan Fletcher, Chair of the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors, applauded this unique win-win opportunity for the region.

By Christianne McCormick

Screenshot: Mayor Mark Arapostathis

November 6, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Disgruntled and outraged residents of La Mesa at the October 11 City Council meeting voiced their concerns about a five-story, 64-unit apartment complex proposed to be built in the heart of the city’s village.  The building would be erected on the same land where the historic Randall Lamb Building burnt down during a riot following the May 30, 2020 protests after the tragic death of George Floyd. 

East County News Service

November 2, 2022 (Rancho San Diego) – The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego invites you to its Fall Garden Festival and annual plant sale on Saturday, November 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

East County News Service

October 8, 2022 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa History Center is teaming up with Grossmont High School and Museum to present the 16h annual Home Tour on November 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s theme will be “Fabulous Foothillers.”

Jones’s Senate Bill 1421 on homelessness also signed into law

East County News Service

October 6, 2022 (San Francisco) – Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) and several other legislators held a bill signing ceremony in San Francisco at a senior community under construction earlier this week to announce enactment of several housing and homelessness-related measures.