District 2 candidates call housing affordability an emergency and propose denser development, subsidies and enforcement

Housing, homelessness and short‑term rentals dominated the District 2 forum as candidates outlined differing combinations of land‑use changes, funding approaches and enforcement strategies.

Cam Crawford said housing affordability is an emergency: "When rent when the cost of rent has gone up 80% since the year 2017, I would call that an emergency." He urged the city to support land‑use policies that make it easier to build workforce housing, expand down‑payment assistance and eviction prevention programs, and work with the state legislature on rent control.

Brandon Veil and other candidates recommended setting clear goals for housing targets and building denser, more water‑efficient housing. Veil said planners should ask how much of the workforce the city wants to house locally and set measurable objectives.

Several candidates called for subsidized housing funded by a mix of city, state and federal sources. Berl Brechner said housing "has got to be subsidized somehow" and suggested using city land strategically. Leroy Trujillo and others raised permitting and market‑concentration concerns, warning that large outside investors can crowd out local builders.

Short‑term rentals and enforcement recurred as concerns: Paul Bustamante and other candidates asked for stronger enforcement where short‑term rentals remove neighborhood housing stock, and Mary Jo Metzger said parks and public spaces must be safe and well maintained to attract families.

None of the forum remarks produced a formal council action; candidates presented policy preferences and promised different mixes of enforcement, subsidies and land‑use reform should they be appointed.