San Diego REALTORS® Help Shape City’s Climate-Change Policy

The Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS® has taken a leading role in shaping the city’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan, and in the process it has helped to keep costly point-of-sale mandates out of the plan.

The city developed the Climate Action Plan as part of its effort to implement state and federal environmental mandates and establish San Diego as a leader in sustainability. Early drafts of the plan distributed by the City Council and the interim mayor included point-of-sale mandates that would have required homeowners selling or substantially renovating their homes to make retrofits that would reduce water and energy consumption.

The point-of-sale requirements were one of the most expensive proposals in the plan but they would have had only a nominal impact on the environment. Compliance with the mandates would have cost as much as $3,000 per home. To put that figure in perspective, in California every $1,000 increase in the price of a home disqualifies 20,000 households from achieving homeownership. Thus, the mandates would have taken away the life-changing opportunity of homeownership from many Californians.

The REALTORS® association was able to galvanize its membership and successfully oppose these point-of-sale mandates. As an alternative, the REALTORS® association recommended a plan that would provide homeowners with incentives for making upgrades. REALTORS® got their position before the public by testifying at City Council meetings, developing policy briefs and educating consumers. The updated Climate Action Plan proposed by the new mayor does not include point-of-sale requirements, but instead relies upon incentive-based programs, like the ones recommended by the REALTORS® association.

The Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS® is proud of its success in this area. It is also proud of the invitation it received to serve on the mayor’s transition committee, showing the respect that REALTORS® have garnered in the community.