Statement: YIMBY Democrats Respond to Intimidation Campaign by Anti-Housing Groups

San Diego, CA — November 21, 2024

San Diegans for Responsible Planning and allied groups forced the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County to relocate our November 20th Policy Committee meeting due to threats of disruption. Unable to make their case against building more homes, they've resorted to tactics aimed at silencing dialogue. They're now celebrating the shutdown as a "victory."

Our meeting was set to discuss the impacts of the 2024 election, barriers to building homes in coastal communities, and other reforms. Instead, threats of protests forced relocation to another venue and withdrawal of multiple speakers. This is part of a troubling pattern of creating hostile environments:

• At City Council meetings, they interrupt staff presentations.

• In community planning groups, they suppress opposing viewpoints.

• Now, they target groups like ours to disrupt mere discussion of housing.

While 1 in 3 San Diego renters spend over half their income on housing, these groups focus on stifling debate instead of addressing the crisis. This isn’t just about one meeting or one project—it’s a pattern of obstruction and delay that leads to fewer homes, higher housing costs, and more families priced out of their communities.

YIMBY Democrats held our meeting as planned at a new location and will continue our work toward solving the housing crisis. Because that's what we do. We adapt, and we persist. But San Diegans should understand exactly what they're witnessing: a coordinated campaign to obstruct housing through intimidation rather than debate.

Join the Fight for Housing

To solve this crisis, San Diego needs open dialogue and bold action. We invite you to visit YIMBYDemsSD.com to learn more and get involved.

You can silence a room. You can't silence a movement.