79th Assembly District candidates talk housing, Prop 36 at forum

Two Democrats want to represent the 79th State Assembly District.

Candidates Colin Parent and LaShae Sharp-Collins recently participated in a League of Women Voters candidate forum where they discussed some of the district’s most pressing issues. 

A lawyer and head of the nonprofit Circulate San Diego, Parent is also a La Mesa city councilmember. Sharp-Collins is an adjunct professor at San Diego State University and a community engagement specialist with the county Office of Education. 

The 79th District covers City Heights, the Mid-City area, southeast San Diego, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and La Mesa. It’s represented by Democrat Akilah Weber, who is seeking a seat in the state Senate.

The San Diego Documenters, an inewsource program that trains and pays citizens to cover government meetings and community events, covered the forum. Here are some highlights of what the candidates said.

On Prop 36

Parent

Parent supports Proposition 36, which would increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking. He said, “we have some serious problems in society that we need to address.”

“I don’t think that this is the last (time) we’re going to have these conversations. There’s no end state in public policy. But I do think that we need to be addressing the problems that we find ourselves dealing with in the moment.”

Sharp-Collins

Sharp-Collins said she opposes Prop 36, saying it would revert the state to policies that promoted mass incarceration.

“We have to think outside the box and make sure that we get to the root cause of why folks are doing what they’re doing. And that has to deal with us correcting the socioeconomic factors that currently exist.”

On state housing policies

Parent

The state suffers from a limited, expensive housing inventory, Parent said.

“We need to be adopting laws that allow for and to encourage the creation of more starter homes, homes that more easily affordable for first time buyers. One of the things that I’m really keen on is doing a law to tell cities that they’re not allowed to say no to some of those kinds of homes, like town homes.” 

Sharp-Collins

Sharp-Collins called for credit repair programs.

“I’m thinking about having an equity program also, where the homes that are available and get the state to absorb some of the cost of the home, that way the home can be a little bit more affordable to families as well.” 

On rent subsidies

Parent

Parent pointed to La Mesa’s own rent subsidy program, which assists residents at risk of homelessness. But he said that wasn’t a solution “that’s going to solve this problem in a broad way.”

“There’s just too many renters and the costs are too high for so many people that there’s not enough money in the state budget to make up for all that. … We need to make sure that we are building enough homes so that the rent is not being driven up by the shortage of available homes.”

Sharp-Collins

Sharp-Collins said while she supports rent caps, the state can’t build or subsidize to solve the problem.

“What needs to happen is that we have to do everything we can to keep up with the current cost of living within the entire state of California. So that means that we have to increase the income for everyone that is living here.