Sean Elo-Rivera is an American politician who has served as a member of the San Diego City Council since 2020, representing District 9.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, he served as president of the city council from 2021 to 2024.
After law school, Elo-Rivera worked on the 2014 campaign of Congressman Scott Peters. He worked as the executive director of Youth Will, a youth policy advocacy organization, from 2018 to 2020, during which he was elected to serve as a member of the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.[3]
In 2019, Elo-Rivera announced his candidacy for District 9 on the San Diego City Council, seeking to succeed term-limited incumbent Georgette Gómez, who ran for California's 53rd congressional district. During the campaign, he emphasized his support for a city-wide plan to address climate change.[4] He was elected to the District 9 seat in the 2020 election.[3]
On December 6, 2021, Elo-Rivera was elected as the president of the San Diego City Council, defeating incumbent Jennifer Campbell in a 5–4 vote.[5] He was re-elected as council president in 2022 and 2023 by 9–0 and 5–4 votes, respectively.[6][7] Elo-Rivera ran for re-election in 2024, advancing from the primary election with 51.9% of the vote.[8] He went on to defeat retired police officer and fellow Democrat Terry Hoskins in the general election.[9] After the election, Elo-Rivera announced that he would not seek another term as council president.[10] He was succeeded by president pro tempore Joe LaCava, who was elected in a 9–0 vote on December 10, 2024.[11]
Policy initiatives
No-fault Eviction Moratorium
Elo-Rivera introduced a no-fault eviction moratorium. The legislation would put an emergency moratorium on no-fault evictions, or evictions where tenants are paying their rent and complying with their leases. The purpose of the moratorium was to prevent unnecessary displacement amid a growing homelessness crisis. This took effect on May 22, 2022, and expired on September 30, 2022.[12]
Housing Instability Prevention Program
In the FY 2022-2023 Budget, Elo-Rivera introduced a program to provide a rental subsidy to vulnerable seniors and families to prevent them from falling into homelessness. A late addition to the budget included $3.5 million for homelessness prevention program which became known as the Housing Instability Prevention Program. At the time, seniors were the fastest growing population becoming newly homeless, facing rising cost of living on a fixed income.[13]
Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance
Elo-Rivera introduced the Residential Tenant Protections ordinance in late 2022, which increased tenants rights. The ordinance which passed in the City Council by a vote of 8–1 in April 2023 banned no-fault evictions with some exceptions. Evictions for renovations of units would require permits to be posted on the premises. Enhanced rights for tenants would be take effect on the first day of tenancy. The ordinance included input from tenants rights advocates and the rental housing industry.[14]
Other Homelessness Prevention
Elo-Rivera worked with Lucky Duck Foundation to launch the Seniors Safe at home program which provided eligible seniors with a rent subsidy and services to keep them from falling into homelessness. The effort aimed to prevent seniors from falling into homelessness which, at the time, was the fastest growing age group becoming newly homeless.[15]
Homeless Shelter Proposal in Balboa Park
On Sept. 5, 2024, a Union Tribune article describes that the City Council President, Sean Elo-Rivera, casually suggested for Balboa Park Activity Center (BPAC) to house the homeless permanently.[16] BPAC is used daily by at least one hundred people, most of them teenagers and seniors, for badminton, table tennis and volleyball. BPAC is within an easy walk from Balboa Park main walkway, the rose garden, the museums and San Diego Zoo.
