SAN DIEGO _ San Diego created a new city department Tuesday focused on eliminating systemic racism and other barriers to the fair distribution of resources like parks, libraries and lucrative city contracts.
The City Council unanimously approved creating an Office of Race and Equity that council members said would be significantly more powerful and game-changing than a commission just studying issues of racial and economic injustice.
The office will have a $3 million "community equity fund" to help even out disparities in resources and help boost the city's low-income and minority communities, which are primarily located south of state Route 94.
"We must be bold in eradicating the inherent systemic racism embedded in our policies," said Councilwoman Monica Montgomery Steppe, who spearheaded efforts to establish the office. "The time is now."
Montgomery Steppe said San Diego's poor areas have lived with inferior infrastructure, housing, job centers and community amenities for too long.
"It is our obligation to ensure distribution of resources is equitable, fair and fosters a safe and balanced quality of life," she said. "As elected officials, we must be proactive in ending systemic racism and breaking down barriers for all of our residents in the city of San Diego."
The new office, which will likely begin operations early next year after three full-time employees are hired to run it, will have an annual budget of $850,000 in addition to the community equity fund.
Its goals will include prioritizing the health and economic success of communities of color and low-income communities, which will include identifying measurable racial equity goals and collecting data to assess progress on those goals.
The office will also conduct continuous analysis of "barriers to access" faced by disadvantaged residents and neighborhoods, to examine how city policies and practices may be contributing to inequity.
It will also revise policies that don't meet racial equity goals and provide policy recommendations based on national best practices aimed at better social and economic outcomes for disadvantaged residents.
Another goal of the office is increasing contracting opportunities for women-owned, minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses, and then making changes in response to a city-commissioned "disparity study."
Councilwoman Barbara Bry said studies have shown discrimination on jobs and housing costs cities like San Diego millions of dollars in economic output, so the new Office of Race and Equity will benefit the entire city.
"We can grow the pie for everybody," Bry said.
Council President Georgette Gomez, who joined Montgomery Steppe in lobbying for the new office last spring in the wake of nationwide racial protests, said San Diego residents shouldn't expect huge advances on equity overnight.
"This is a long process, but at least the city is committing," she said. "Where we spend money is key. Reforms are key."
Councilwoman Vivian Moreno, who represents the city's predominantly low-income South Bay communities, said big change is needed.
"Many of the communities within my district have suffered inequities for decades when it comes to environmental and criminal justice," Moreno said. "The city has not equitably invested in much-needed infrastructure in these communities and, as a result, we have less amenities like parks and green space, and many of our facilities are either rundown or were never built at all."
Mayor Kevin Faulconer said by email that he enthusiastically endorses the council's move.
"Establishing an Office of Race and Equity is an important step forward as we work together as a community to eliminate the historic inequities and barriers that have existed for so long," Faulconer said.
Next steps in the process to establishing the new office are getting approval from the Civil Service Commission for the new positions, which is scheduled for Thursday, and then hiring workers to fill those positions, said Almis Udrys, Faulconer's deputy chief of staff for policy and innovation.
Udrys said the staff of the new office will start their work by developing "key performance indicators."
