Kent’s priorities

Housing attainability remains the biggest challenge for San Diego families. High costs make it difficult to afford essentials like childcare, food, and transportation. District 6 includes diverse communities, a hub for life sciences, small businesses, MCAS Miramar, and a major research university, making it critical that people can live near where they work or go to school.

As Chair of the Land Use & Housing Committee, I have focused on streamlining permitting, updating land use policies, and encouraging smart growth — helping drive increased housing production in recent years. While we’ve made progress, more must be done. I will continue advancing policies that increase housing supply while investing in infrastructure to support growing communities.

The City must restore public trust through greater fiscal accountability and transparency. With growing budget challenges, we must manage taxpayer dollars responsibly and clearly communicate how decisions are made and how resources are allocated.

I have focused on asking tough questions, pushing for clearer answers, and advancing solutions grounded in real-world implementation. That includes strengthening independent oversight and improving transparency in the budget process — and making sure adopted budgets translate into services residents actually receive. I have also proposed re-establishing a Chief Operating Officer to ensure better execution and accountability across City operations.

I support necessary investments and revenue solutions when they are critical to maintaining core services — but I have also been willing to push back when proposals fall short of earning public trust. That includes opposing water rate increases due to concerns about transparency and accountability, and advancing reforms to ensure residents have greater visibility and confidence in how these decisions are made.

San Diego residents deserve reliable, high-quality neighborhood services and infrastructure. That means well-maintained parks, accessible libraries and community spaces, and timely repairs to streets, sidewalks, and streetlights.

In District 6, we are delivering major investments, including new parks, recreation upgrades, and street improvements — but maintaining these assets is just as important as building them. At the same time, the City must do more to address longstanding maintenance and infrastructure backlogs that impact neighborhoods across San Diego. I will continue prioritizing funding and improving efficiency to ensure services are delivered reliably across all communities.

I’ve focused on delivering the basic services that keep our neighborhoods clean, safe, and well-maintained — and making sure City Hall responds when residents need help.

Arts and culture are an essential part of San Diego’s identity, economy, and quality of life. They create opportunities for young people, strengthen neighborhoods, support jobs and small businesses, and help make San Diego a place where people want to live and visit.

Before serving on the City Council, I spent six years leading Pacific Arts Movement, one of the nation’s largest media arts organizations focused on Asian American and international cinema. That experience gives me a firsthand understanding of both the value arts organizations bring to our communities and the challenges they face.

I will continue working to make arts and culture a sustainable City priority — expanding access while recognizing the important role the sector plays in education, tourism, economic development, and neighborhood identity.

A strong economy is essential to opportunity and quality of life. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and we must ensure San Diego remains a place where businesses can grow and thrive.

That means improving permitting processes, ensuring predictable regulations, and supporting key industries like life sciences, technology, tourism, and neighborhood-serving businesses. District 6 is home to important economic corridors including Convoy, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, and North University City, as well as one of the largest concentrations of life sciences companies in the country.

I will continue working to make City processes easier to navigate, reduce unnecessary delays, and improve communication with businesses, while supporting both the neighborhood businesses that give our communities their character and the industries that create jobs and drive San Diego’s economy.

Public safety is essential to the quality of life in every neighborhood. That means ensuring our first responders are supported, while also investing in prevention, emergency preparedness, and community-based solutions.

We must be able to recruit and retain qualified first responders by providing competitive compensation and benefits, while making sure they have the staffing, equipment, and resources needed to do their jobs effectively. Public safety also means preparing before emergencies happen — from wildfire prevention and brush management in District 6 to addressing flood and other emergency risks across San Diego.

Homelessness remains one of the most complex challenges facing our region, and there is no single solution. We need a comprehensive approach that prevents people from becoming homeless in the first place, provides safe and appropriate places for people to go when they lose housing, and creates real pathways from homelessness into permanent housing.

That means expanding shelter while also investing in prevention, outreach, and housing — with particular attention to seniors, who are among the fastest-growing populations experiencing homelessness. It also requires stronger coordination between the City, County, San Diego Housing Commission, and regional partners so that people aren't simply moved from one place to another without addressing the reasons they became homeless.

The Convoy District is a cultural and economic hub that reflects the diversity of San Diego. Its future includes creating more walkable, livable spaces while supporting small businesses and preserving its unique identity.

We recently celebrated the opening of new residential housing along Convoy Street — an important step toward creating a more vibrant, mixed-use community where people can live, work, and enjoy the district. I will continue working with community leaders and stakeholders to support thoughtful growth that uplifts culture, strengthens small businesses, enhances quality of life, and ensures Convoy’s future remains recognizably Convoy.