News: Affordable housing

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A bill aiming to help moderate-income families — or the “missing middle” — find housing within their price range continues to advance in the Legislature. Last week, AB 3152 by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, won unanimous passage in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee and now heads to the Appropriations Committee.

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Although not on the agenda, arguments over rent control dominated the discussion Wednesday at a San Diego City Council committee meeting. Scores of public speakers – both for and against rent control – appeared before the Smart Growth and Land Use Committee, which includes four City Council members. The meeting was designed to focus on anti-displacement, Section 8 vouchers and issues surrounding the expiration of San Diego’s affordable housing stock. That didn’t matter to San Diego Tenants United, a media-savvy but hastily organized tenant-advocacy group that took an aggressive stance in hijacking part of Wednesday’s discussion.

Tagged: San Diego

A newly introduced bill would waive environmental-review requirements for certain affordable housing projects in some of California’s poorest communities. Under AB 3030 by Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, qualifying affordable housing projects in low-income “Opportunity Zones” would be allowed to proceed without review under the California Environmental Quality Act. The Opportunity Zones are being created in low-income census tracks across the country as part of the federal tax law passed last year.

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A pair of bills have emerged in the Legislature this year to help California college students secure housing near campus without breaking their budgets. SB 922 by Sen. Janet Nguyen, R-Garden Grove, focuses on turning surplus property near college campuses into housing for college students. It would authorize the California Department of General Services to offer unused properties within two miles of any University of California, California State University or California community college to local governments or nonprofits for the construction of such housing.

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A bill co-sponsored by the California Apartment Association would create financial consequences for local governments that fail to allow their fair share of housing. AB 1759 by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, would withhold road maintenance funds from cities and counties until they meet their housing production goals as assigned by the state. Along with CAA, the California Association of Realtors is co-sponsoring the legislation.

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The California Department of Housing and Community Development on Thursday released the official list of cities that will have their housing approvals streamlined under SB 35, a bill supported by the California Apartment Association and authored last year by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco.

Tagged: Sacramento Valley

The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday voted to create an ordinance requiring mandatory lease offerings for renters. The ordinance also will require relocation assistance for tenants in circumstances of large displacement in communities of 15 or more units. The policies reflect recommendations from a Landlord/Tenant Task Force, which included representation from the California Apartment Association. The City Council created the task force last year after rejecting rent control as a policy option.

Tagged: Ventura/Santa BarbaraLos Angeles

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, has introduced a pair of bills to help boost housing production in California, a goal shared by the California Apartment Association. Wiener’s SB 827 is intended to encourage multifamily development around public transportation hubs. The bill would lift some locally imposed low-density zoning standards that can prevent the construction of apartment buildings in these infill locations. The legislation promises to address California’s ongoing housing shortage, and it would offer environmental benefits by boosting higher density housing near public transit, reducing the need for residents to commute by car.

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The California Apartment Association provided testimony this week about the role of NIMBYism in the high cost of housing for the middle class. Debra Carlton, senior vice president of public affairs at CAA, told an Assembly Select Committee on Monday about how NIMBY groups — short for Not in My Backyard — leverage environmental-impact reviews and the California Environmental Quality Act to delay projects. “The costs — when you’re stuck in the EIR process or the CEQA process — can add over a million dollars just in delays alone,” Carlton said. “And I think that we know that the locals… Read More

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A highly anticipated package of housing bills signed by the governor last week includes key legislation sponsored by the California Apartment Association. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the slate of 15 housing bills Sept. 29 during a ceremony in San Francisco. Important to this package are CAA-sponsored AB 678 by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, and a companion bill, SB 167 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. These bills will help boost California’s supply of housing, which has long lagged behind job and population growth.

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