Anti-Muslim hate incidents at 30-year high

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, April 10th.

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Reports of anti-muslim hate incidents are at a 30-year high in the U-S.

More on what we’re seeing locally, next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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San Diego is not doing enough to account for the money it spends on homeless programs.

That's one of the conclusions of a report from the state auditor’s office.

The report said San Diego spent 218 million dollars on homeless services over the past three fiscal years, yet it could not fully account for its homeless spending because it has no central spending plan.

The audit criticizes the city for transitioning most homeless people to temporary housing, not permanent housing.

In a letter to the auditor, San Diego staff said the city does maintain spending plans for homeless services but not in a central location, and they will correct that.

The city agreed with the need for more permanent housing but said – quote – ‘resource constraints’ have prevented them from creating and implementing a plan for such housing.

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Today (Wednesday) is the last day property owners impacted by the January winter storms can apply for property tax relief.

The applications must be received by 5 this evening.

Qualified property owners can have their upcoming property tax payment delayed without interest or penalty until the property is rebuilt.

To qualify, homeowners and commercial property owners must have at least 10-thousand-dollars in damage to their home or commercial property.

You can find the application form at www-dot-sd-a-r-c-c-dot-gov.

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The weather is going to be heating up today, and in some parts of the county, it’ll almost feel like summer.

The National Weather Service says temperatures are expected to reach up to 12 degrees above normal for this time of year.

Temperatures in the inland areas today will be in the low 80s, by the coast and in the mountains, temps will be in the low 70s, and in the deserts, it’ll be in the mid 90s.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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Reports of anti-muslim hate incidents and discrimination in the U-S have hit a 30-year high following the October 7th Hamas attack in Israel.

That’s according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or Cair.

Reporter Katie Hyson heard from San Diego muslim leaders about the local impact.

Eight thousand and sixty-one. That’s how many complaints CAIR received nationwide last year. Nearly half in the final three months alone. Director of CAIR San Diego, Tazheen Nizam, says that number is underreported. People do not want to even complain because they are afraid. And still, it’s a bigger spike in complaints than after former President Donald Trump’s travel bans. The incidents range from physical and verbal assaults to discrimination in education, employment and immigration. 45 of those reports came from San Diego County. Including vandalism of a local mosque in the days following the Hamas attack. SDSU student Mohamed Erekat says the city has not felt safe. We cannot even pray without armed security. Many do not even feel safe going to places of worship anymore. They do not feel safe gathering with their communities. The Anti-Defamation League also reports a local rise in antisemitic incidents last year. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

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The city of Del Mar officially got full support from the county yesterday (Tuesday), to explore affordable housing options at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Still, housing advocates say the city needs to do more.

North County reporter Tania Thorne talked to them.

In a unanimous vote, the County board of supervisors passed a resolution to support affordable housing units on the Del Mar fairgrounds. It could take two years to determine whether the plans on the fairgrounds are feasible… and housing advocates fear Del Mar will once again fail to comply with state housing laws. Saad Asad is with the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County, a grassroots organization that advocates for more abundant housing throughout the region. I think the residents would definitely be more supportive of the fairgrounds, but if it takes until 2030, then they're not doing their fair share that other cities nearby are already making progress on so important to to consider other opportunities. SeaSide Ridge is the other housing project submitted to the city of Del Mar. It's a 259 apartment complex on an ocean bluff with 85 units deemed affordable. But that project is held in litigation with the city and sitting at a standstill. TT KPBS News. 

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Hillcrest has long been a haven for San Diego's L-G-B-T-Q community.

And over the past couple years, the neighborhood has been growing rapidly.

Metro reporter Andrew Bowen says city planning officials are seeking to balance the need for more housing in Hillcrest, with new protections for L-G-B-T-Q nightlife.

BJ: So yeah, our spring decorations are up. We've got a lot of butterflies and Easter rabbits… AB: Brian Jennings is the co-owner of Number One Fifth Avenue, one of San Diego's oldest gay bars. It's cozy, divey and always has some kitsch decor hanging from the ceiling. BJ: For every different season we've got a different theme, and we're very very well known for our holiday and Christmas decorations. AB: Number One also has an open air back patio that hosts karaoke, dance parties and drag shows. It gets noisy late at night… and that's likely to cause some issues with a brand new seven-story apartment building next door. Sixteen balconies open directly onto the patio. BJ: The developer actually approached us and made us an offer in order to sell the bar to them, as well as the real estate at a fairly significant profit in order for them to incorporate this property into their development.  AB: Jennings was not interested. He bought the bar in 2019 to ensure its preservation as the neighborhood continues to grow. Still, he knew owning a noisy business next to dense housing was a recipe for conflict. BJ: Where I've studied it in other cities, a lot of times the bar owners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees in order to fight. And after years of fighting the neighbors and the neighborhood, they always lose. And so what we're doing is we're trying to build a structure that will make sure that our sound is contained and we can still continue to coexist next door. It's going to cost us several hundred thousand dollars to do this. This is a very large investment. It's one of the largest investments that this bar has ever seen in history. And we're taking a big risk, but we believe that we can make it work. AB: City planning officials last month released a new draft of Hillcrest’s long term growth plan. They're trying to capitalize on the neighborhood's walkability and proximity to public transit and major employers like hospitals. The plan would allow a lot more housing, even high rises — as long as they include new public gathering spaces like mini parks and plazas. SJ: The future is in urban development and economic development for our businesses and places of interest here. AB: Susan Jester is a longtime lesbian activist and has been a fixture in Hillcrest for decades. She says the bars here are more than just places to go drinking. They're a refuge. SJ: I couldn't go down to the Gaslamp quarter or anywhere else in town to dance with my partner in 1980, but I could come here. Same thing with mourning a lost friend or organizing our community. It's sacred ground to us. And we want to keep it not just for us and for the history, but going forward so that young gay people, LGBT people, come here and continue to feel that this is a safe and protected spot for them. AB: Jester got involved in planning the future of Hillcrest as the city was developing an LGBTQ cultural district. It calls for public art honoring the community's history here. And it requires landlords of new apartments to disclose to their tenants that this is an LGBTQ neighborhood with an active nightlife. Legacy businesses also get first dibs on new commercial spaces if their property gets redeveloped. JA: Some of the new developments, I could maybe afford a studio in some of them or nothing at all, depending on just how nice it is. AB: Jon Anderson is a renter in Hillcrest who's also been advocating around the neighborhood's growth plans. He says while he might not be able to afford those brand new apartments, somebody else can. And new housing can relieve the demand for Hillcrest's older homes that are more affordable. JA: I'm in a one bedroom in a much more historic, older home. It was built in the '40s, so I can afford that pretty comfortably. (08:00) When I went to renew, there was enough other vacant units in my building that they tried to raise my rent, and I was able to ask them not to, and they didn't. AB: Anderson hears the anxiety that some of his neighbors have around Hillcrest's current growth spurt. A lot of it is rooted in concerns about traffic. He says that's why the city wants to build out the bike, pedestrian and transit network so it's easier to live car-free… like he does. JA: If you build these high rises and you have the transportation network as it's being proposed in the plan, people will move here and they won't bring a car, or they might only bring one car. That's going to be what allows the neighborhood to retain the charm that it has now, I think, while still bringing more people into the neighborhood to be able to live and afford to live here. AB: The public has until April 29 to comment on the growth plans for Hillcrest. It's expected to go before the City Council sometime this summer. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

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There’s a big shakeup in San Diego’s Republican Party.

Its chair abruptly resigned Monday night.

Reporter John Carroll says it came after an inner-party squabble over the endorsement of a candidate for the state assembly. 

In last month’s primary, San Diego’s G-O-P had endorsed Andrew Hayes for the 75th assembly district. Last week, Party Chair Paula Whitsell tried to give the endorsement to Carl DeMaio.  The party central committee met to discuss the idea Monday night... but before the meeting, Whitsell abruptly resigned. Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Mesa College, Carl Luna has three hypotheses as to why the committee wanted the endorsement to stay with Hayes.  It could be the result of a power struggle within the committee to take control. Or… “Could be the local party has enough people in it saying, we’re never going to win in San Diego.  We’re MAGA far to the right as Carl DeMaio would take us.  So it could be an effort to come back to center.” Or Luna says it could be simpler than that. “A lot of people just don’t like Carl DeMaio.” Hayes still has the endorsement, and Corey Gustafson is now the party’s chair.  A call to Whitsell for comment wasn’t returned.  JC, KPBS News.

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Barbershops have served as more than just places for haircuts.

They've been sanctuaries for black men for decades.

Health reporter Heidi De Marco tells us how local medical students are leveraging this cultural tradition to raise cardiovascular health awareness.

The scene at Freshly Faded Barber + Shop in North Park is bustling yet relaxed. Today’s customers aren't just getting dope haircuts and fades—they're also getting quick health check-ups. You can just put your arms down like this and relax. Every month, UCSD medical students provide free blood pressure screenings and share information on preventive care at local barbershops as part of a student-led program called Fade Hypertension. High blood pressure or hypertension can lead to heart disease, the leading cause of death among Black San Diego County residents. Owner Derrick Banks, says partnering with Fade Hypertension is his way of helping change how Black people think about health. “We have to reprogram ourselves and take away the stigma, doctors, the scariness of it. So when you see them in plain clothes, when they’re here in the barbershop, when they’re cracking jokes with you, taking your blood pressure, I think that helps to humanize the aspect of doctoring and it’s really cool to have medical students and people of color in particular doing that.”  Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.

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The Grossmont Union High School District has a new multi-million dollar state grant to spend on improving the lives of its students.

Education reporter M.G. Perez says it will lead to more community schools.

The community school model helps student learning and success. The California Department of Education supports districts with funding to help them create community partnerships that provide student services outside class time. The Grossmont Union High School District was just awarded a 7 million dollar state grant to bring support to more of its campuses …offering programs that include mental health, food, clothing, and career training that will get students jobs right after graduation. 17-year-old Isabella Flores is a Mexican immigrant and a senior at El Cajon Valley High School… “I want to own my future. I want to be an entrepreneur…but also dedicate my life to artificial intelligence.” For the past two years, El Cajon Valley High has been a successful model of a community school …a model it will now expand to its other campuses. MGP KPBS News.

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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Wednesday.