Soft Landing?

On September 20 the Del Mar City Council debated a staff proposal to end the rental assistance program administered by Del Mar Community Connections (DMCC) at the end of the current fiscal year in June 2022. The program has existed for more than 20 years and currently provides rental assistance to 4 long-term Del Mar residents with qualifying low incomes and special needs.

The current annual cost of the program is $94,000. The staff report suggested that the 5 persons impacted (one client lives with a special needs child) could easily be shifted to a county Section 8 subsidy program, but the report failed to note that the wait list for that program is 10 years long.

The council decided to defer the decision about ending the Del Mar program until next June and to hire a consultant with appropriate expertise to find a “soft landing” for the individuals impacted. The council also voted to disband the non-profit Del Mar Housing Corporation that has advised the city on low-income housing issues for many years.