Four candidates battling to represent South County on the Board of Supervisors debated housing, homelessness and the Tijuana River sewage crisis during a Thursday election forum.

Several South County organizations, including Albondigas South County and the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, hosted the two-hour event at a Chula Vista library. Carolina Chavez, Chula Vista council member; Paloma Aguirre, Imperial Beach mayor; Vivian Moreno, San Diego council member; and Louis Fuentes, a small-business owner, participated. John McCann, Chula Vista mayor; Lincoln Pickard, a former political candidate; and Elizabeth Efird, an affordable energy consultant, did not attend.

The District 1 seat became vacant after former county Supervisor Nora Vargas announced in December she would not serve her second term. The winner will represent the cities of Chula Vista, National City and Imperial Beach, the San Diego neighborhoods of Nestor, San Ysidro and Barrio Logan, and the unincorporated areas of Bonita and Spring Valley.

Candidates discussed housing, economic development, the cross-border sewage crisis, homelessness, crime and immigration. Here’s how the hopefuls said they would tackle some of those issues.

Homelessness

Aguirre said the county must beef up its follow-up case work to ensure that people are receiving the support they need to get out of homelessness. That could look like “multiple touch points with the same people” who need an identification card, behavioral health services or a permanent address. The county should seek more state funding to cover costs, she added.

Chavez said that while many, including her city, have built some bridge housing and other accommodations for the homeless, she wants to see more resources for mental health.

Similarly, Moreno said the county has not done enough to address its overall shortage of substance abuse services.

“The county only has 78 beds for three million people,” she said. “That, to me, is ridiculous.”

Fuentes said it’s time to try different approaches.

“We have to focus on one group, right now, to have the greatest impact because money is not unlimited,” he said. “Even if it’s 100 people, focus on the 100 people and not just have them on a list.”

Housing

To support the development of more housing, Fuentes said the county can start by reducing costs for permitting, rezoning and annexing. That “should reduce the costs for the construction side, which should reduce the cost (to) either sell it or rent it,” he added.

Moreno said the city of San Diego has “taken the red tape away” to be able to build over 200,000 housing units in her district. She wants that at the county level, too. Additionally, she said the county’s Fire Safe and Vehicle Miles Traveled Efficient smart growth alternative “needs to be looked at.” The alternative aims to push development away from areas at high risk for wildfires and closer to urban areas with public facilities.

Aguirre said housing production needs to be diversified so that people of all incomes can afford what’s being built. “We need to make sure we continue housing production where it makes sense in urbanized areas, in infill areas and not just in wildfire prone areas.” She and Chavez said they support facilitating the production of more accessible dwelling units (ADUs).

Sewage crisis

Cross-border pollution has worsened in recent years, making it one of the most pressing environmental issues for South County communities. For decades, sewage and toxic chemicals have plagued local shorelines and neighborhoods, impacting people’s health, the local economy and military training.

Aguirre said the county “needs to put skin in the game” and that the city of San Diego could also do more to address the crisis, despite it largely being a federal problem. She suggested the creation of a joint powers authority between the county and city to strategize how to better handle Tijuana River sewage flows.

Chavez said both nations’ federal governments are “very far from the border.” She wants better coordination between all levels of government and from both sides of the border. Chavez said she envisions a task force composed of representatives from the local, state and federal governments.

Moreno said funding is key to fixing Tijuana’s leaky system. She wants to see the federal government invest far more funding in the South Bay wastewater treatment plant, beyond the more than $600 million Congress has approved to fix and expand the facility.

Fuentes said that although much progress has been accomplished in recent years, he doesn’t see the current administration freeing up more money “for an area they don’t even know.” But, he added, “they can work diplomatically to force the root of where that sewage is coming from, which is from Mexico.”