Shane Harris: ‘Why I’m Voting No on Measure A’

By Shane Harris / Voice of San Diego / May 29, 2026

I don’t own a home in San Diego. Like many residents, I rent. I feel the pressure of rising costs. I understand how difficult it is for working people and families to find stable, affordable housing in this city. And like most San Diegans, I want real solutions to our housing crisis. That’s exactly why I’m voting no on Measure A.

Initially, the City Council wanted Measure A described as an “empty homes” tax until a judge ruled that the city could not use that misleading language. Now the measure is identified as a “non-primary homes” tax. Supporters claim it will free up housing supply by encouraging owners to sell their property or rent it out to local residents. It sounds simple, even appealing. But when you look closer, the reality is far more complicated — and far more concerning.

This measure isn’t just about abandoned or speculative properties. It creates a tax of up to $10,000 annually on homes deemed not to be a primary residence and “vacant” for more than half the year. That definition sweeps in far more people than many voters realize. It also puts the city in the business of monitoring how many days San Diegans spend in their own homes, shifting the burden onto residents to prove they lived there rather than requiring the city to prove they did not.

It includes retirees who maintain a second home to be closer to doctors, family, or grandchildren. It could impact military families deployed for extended periods if they fail to properly file paperwork with a new city bureaucracy. It affects people navigating inheritance, relocation, family illness, or other life transitions. These are not faceless investors gaming the system; they are real San Diegans with legitimate reasons for how they use their homes.

Framing this as simply an “empty homes” issue is misleading. And that matters, because public policy should be rooted in clarity and honesty.

But the deeper problem is this: Measure A does not solve the housing crisis. It does not build a single new home. It does not increase density in the areas where it is needed most. It does not streamline approvals or reduce the barriers that make housing development so difficult in San Diego.

Instead, it relies on the assumption that taxing certain homeowners will somehow translate into more housing supply. That assumption is not backed by a clear plan or proven mechanism for delivering results. In fact, the city’s own Independent Budget Analyst report acknowledged that other jurisdictions that implemented similar taxes did not see lower rents or lower housing prices as a result.

Even the roughly 5,000 homes the city says it would initially target are largely not located in areas where new transit-oriented housing development is feasible. They are not near major job centers or transportation corridors where density makes sense. They are not the types of properties that will suddenly become accessible, affordable housing for working families.

If we are serious about solving the housing crisis, we should focus on what actually works: building more housing in places where people can live, work, and move efficiently. That means aligning housing with transit, infrastructure, and economic opportunity. That is the kind of policy that expands access. I call it “housing on wheels.”

Measure A does not do that.

What it does do is generate revenue — revenue that would go directly into the city’s General Fund. And we have already seen where that has gotten us: a budget deficit now exceeding $120 million, driven by overspending rather than a lack of revenue. There is no dedicated funding stream, no lockbox, and no guarantee that the money raised by Measure A would be used to increase housing supply or improve affordability.

At a time when San Diegans are already dealing with rising utility bills, new fees, and increasing everyday costs, asking voters to approve another tax without a clear spending plan only deepens concerns about trust and accountability.

Measure A also creates a new layer of bureaucracy in a city already grappling with how many employees will eventually need to be cut. It requires homeowners to report how their property is used and opens the door to audits, disputes, and penalties. It expands government oversight into private property in ways many residents may find intrusive.

As a renter, I want more housing options. I want lower costs. I want a future where homeownership is within reach for more people. But policies like Measure A do not move us closer to that future.

If anything, they risk discouraging investment, creating uncertainty, and distracting from the real work that needs to be done to increase housing supply.

This is a smoke-and-mirrors measure. I call it “piecemeal taxation.” It sounds like a solution, but it does not address the root of the problem.

San Diego deserves better.

As ballots arrive in mailboxes, voters should look past the label and ask a simple question: Will this actually fix the housing crisis?

In my view, it will not.

And that is why I am voting no on Measure A.

Shane Harris is the CEO of S Harris Communications and the spokesperson for No on A Campaign.