County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas centered on enhancing life for households, a stronger financial system, higher infrastructure and psychological well being care, and combating homelessness in Wednesday night’s State of the County speech.
Talking earlier than a full crowd in county Administration Heart West Plaza, Vargas, challenged the viewers to assist her “make San Diego County a greater county for all.”
“There’s nothing we are able to’t accomplish collectively, as a result of you already know what? We obtained this,” mentioned Vargas, first elected to the District 1 seat in 2020.
Throughout her speech, Vargas additionally mentioned strengthening public security, decreasing meals insecurity, combating for environmental justice and eco-friendly job creation.
Vargas famous that between private tales and authorities statistics, a speech doesn’t imply a lot to households scrambling to place dinner on the desk, or these battling their psychological well being.
Vargas added that it will “take a heck of much more than a speech” to repair main challenges.
“I received’t relaxation till we make actual modifications,” Vargas mentioned, including that the Board of Supervisors and county authorities “will hold combating till everybody has a shot at reaching the American dream.”
Vargas mentioned that when she first got here into workplace, she labored to guard renters struggling to remain of their houses because the COVID-19 pandemic induced critical financial hurt and cease unfair evictions. The county gave out tens of millions of {dollars} in help to working households needing assist, mentioned Vargas, who added she’ll work with metropolis officers in an try and broaden rental protections.
Vargas mentioned stopping and addressing homelessness “is a prime precedence,” which is why the board in September declared it a public well being disaster. Whereas taking part in current official counts of these dwelling on the road, Vargas mentioned she understood “how years of unhealthy insurance policies had failed communities.”
“I do know there is no such thing as a `one dimension matches all’ answer,” Vargas mentioned, including that within the county, there are almost 100,000 households dwelling who’re one paycheck away from homelessness. “We should discover the humanity in our options.”
There should be a complete technique to confront the homeless epidemic, together with working with the 18 metropolis governments in San Diego County, together with faith-based and group teams to assist seniors, veterans and LGBTQ residents, Vargas mentioned.
Vargas identified her work with colleagues Joel Anderson and Nathan Fletcher on discovering extra emergency housing and serving to veterans discover a place of their very own, respectively. “We all know that 24% of the homeless inhabitants counted in 2022 have been over the age of 55,” Vargas mentioned. “Are you able to consider we’re leaving our senior residents on the streets and with out shelter?”
The county is giving every senior in a particular program $500 per thirty days to assist pay their lease, and can improve senior facilities. County authorities may even leverage federal, state and native funding sources to develop extra housing “and take away bureaucratic boundaries to get it finished,” Vargas mentioned.
“If we pay attention to at least one one other, we are able to begin to make actual change in our communities,” Vargas mentioned.
Vargas mentioned that when she was an schooling advocate, she noticed college students sleeping of their vehicles, and counting on meals pantries. “No extra, not on my watch,” she added.
One in 4 San Diegans doesn’t have entry to high quality meals, and so the county will companion with varied meals banks to assist residents and improve group gardens, Vargas mentioned.
“It’s onerous to consider that that is one thing we’ve to say out loud in 2023: nobody must be going hungry,” Vargas added. It’s additionally vital that county residents handle psychological well being, which turned an particularly essential matter over the previous three years, Vargas mentioned.
She famous that final yr, supervisors allotted $30 million for psychological well being providers and initiatives to assist kids and youth, and $2 million for homebound people. The county is partnering with colleges on a psychological well being screening initiative, together with one for center faculty college students later this yr and dealing with dad and mom to interrupt down psychological well being stigmas.
In response to current mass shootings, county leaders should work collectively to cut back the epidemic of violence, Vargas mentioned, including that “ideas and prayers usually are not sufficient.”
In a partnership with Sheriff Kelly Martinez, “we’re launching a group security initiative to handle gun violence and public security,” Vargas mentioned. “I’m dedicated to bringing stakeholders collectively to implement restorative justice insurance policies and practices to maintain our communities secure.”
Vargas talked about her work with fellow Supervisor Jim Desmond on educating younger individuals in regards to the risks of fentanyl and different public security achievements, together with a South County useful resource middle for abuse survivors and a fireplace station in East Otay Mesa.
Vargas mentioned that wholesome communities “bolster a wholesome financial system” with small companies, hit onerous by the pandemic, because the spine.
“Not solely do they make up many of the companies within the county, however additionally they make use of almost 60 p.c of our workforce,” she mentioned, including that she championed a division on financial prosperity and group improvement. “This workplace serves as a hub to attach companies to sources that may assist them thrive and create a various native financial system,” Vargas mentioned.
She added that the county has awarded almost $26.2 million in grants to help native companies. “That is actual cash for actual individuals,” Vargas mentioned.
Working dad and mom who help the native financial system need assistance and “youngster look after all must be our purpose,” Vargas mentioned, including the county should discover modern options to make that attainable.
“It’s widespread sense that if we wish extra individuals caring for children, they should be paid properly for his or her onerous work.” Vargas took a second to reward native unions, together with these for home employees, county staff, heavy business, regulation enforcement and public defenders. “Collectively, we’re going to create a pathway to the center class,” she mentioned.
One other key to rising the native financial system is having the correct infrastructure in place, so residents have simpler commutes to work or faculty, Vargas mentioned. She touted a partnership with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System on a program permitting individuals 18 or youthful free public transit.
Because the program’s begin, youth ridership has risen by 84%, Vargas mentioned, including she desires to broaden free transportation to college-age college students.
Vargas mentioned she was proud to guide efforts on welcome immigrants to the county, from serving to kids on the San Diego Conference Heart to these assembly up with their households.
Vargas added she’ll “proceed to struggle” so immigrants are handled with dignity and respect, and work to assist them grow to be residents.
An immigrant herself, Vargas mentioned she remembered being slightly woman and ready on the border crossing for hours in site visitors. Vargas added the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, which is able to pace up ready occasions, decreasing air air pollution and assist the native financial system by supporting over 80,000 jobs.
Together with a robust financial system, “I consider it’s our duty to broaden out of doors entry for each resident,” mentioned Vargas, who added the county should decide to extra parks and leisure facilities for each group.
Whereas there’s a purpose to plant over 5,000 bushes in county, Vargas challenged viewers members to assist her plant 10,000 bushes. Elected as board chairwoman in January, Vargas is the primary particular person of colour and first-generation immigrant to carry the place.
Vargas’ niece Fatima Jimenez emceed Wednesday’s speech, describing it as “such an inspiring second for me and younger ladies like me.”
