ARTICLE
The road to housing affordability starts in our State Capitol with 31 housing bills signed by Governor Newsom and now moves to local government to use these legislative tools to address our California housing crisis. You can read the Governor’s press release here: Governor Newsom signs affordable housing legislation to increase supply and accountability In the release: “The acute affordability crisis we are experiencing in California was decades in the making, and now we’re taking the necessary steps to fix it,” said Governor Newsom, who signed the legislation at an affordable housing development in Oakland today. “This package of smart, bipartisan legislation boosts housing production in California – more streamlining, more local accountability, more affordability, more density. These bills, plus this year’s historic budget investments in affordable housing, will directly lead to more inclusive neighborhoods across the state. Creating denser housing near jobs, parks and schools is key to meeting our climate goals as well as our affordability goals.” The San Jose Mercury News also covered the press conference on Tuesday. Here is their storyline: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/28/california-gov-newsom-signs-more-than-two-dozen-housing-bills/. The key to how these legislative tools can help California cities and counties meet our housing needs is tied directly to current laws around planning and zoning for “each city’s fair share of housing,” a process that is underway for the next 7-year cycle. The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) cycle means local government will create more than 2.5 million units statewide — a doubling of the housing units from the 2015-2023 allocations requirements. I have followed housing policy for over three decades throughout California but have never seen such a dramatic shift in state legislation addressing affordable housing. Here is the long list of legislative remedies: • AB 68 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) – Department of Housing and Community Development: California Statewide Housing Plan: annual reports. • AB 215 by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) – Planning and Zoning Law: housing element: violations. • AB 345 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) – Accessory dwelling units: separate conveyance. • AB 447 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – California Debt Limit Allocation Committee: income taxes: low-income housing tax credits. • AB 491 by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) – Housing: affordable and market rate units. • AB 571 by Assemblymember Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) – Planning and zoning: density bonuses: affordable housing. • AB 602 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Development fees: impact fee nexus study. • AB 634 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) – Density Bonus Law: affordability restrictions. • AB 721 by Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) – Covenants and restrictions: affordable housing. • AB 787 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Planning and zoning: housing element: converted affordable housing units. • AB 838 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) – State Housing Law: enforcement response to complaints. • AB 948 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) – Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers: disclosures: demographic information: reporting: continuing education. • AB 1029 by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) – Housing elements: pro-housing local policies. • AB 1043 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Housing programs: rental housing developments: affordable rent. • AB 1095 by Assemblymember Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) – Affordable rental and owner-occupied housing: equity in state and local programs. • AB 1297 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) – California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank: public and economic development facilities: housing. • AB 1304 by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) – Affirmatively further fair housing: housing element: inventory of land. • AB 1398 by Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) – Planning and zoning: housing element: rezoning of sites: pro-housing local policies. • AB 1466 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) – Real property: discriminatory restrictions. • AB 1584 by the Committee on Housing and Community Development – Housing omnibus. • SB 263 by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) – Real estate applicants and licensees: education requirements: fair housing and implicit bias training. • SB 290 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Density Bonus Law: qualifications for incentives or concessions: student housing for lower income students: moderate-income persons and families: local government constraints. • SB 381 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Surplus residential property: priorities, procedures, price, and fund: City of South Pasadena. • SB 478 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Planning and Zoning Law: housing development projects. • SB 591 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Senior citizens: intergenerational housing developments. • SB 728 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Density Bonus Law: purchase of density bonus units by nonprofit housing organizations. • SB 791 by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) – California Surplus Land Unit. The Governor previously signed: • AB 1174 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Planning and zoning: housing: development application modifications, approvals, and subsequent permits. • SB 8 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Housing Crisis Act of 2019. • SB 9 by Senator Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) – Housing development: approvals. • SB 10 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Planning and zoning: housing development: density. The next step is to watch how local governments respond to state legislators’ and the Governor’s plea to move the needle on housing construction. Back home in Santa Cruz County, our county and the four cities are in preliminary discussions with our RHNA process in the Monterey Bay region. The Association of Monterey Bay Area Government (AMBAG) projects the following housing needs at 33,274 units (June 2023 to December 2031). Here is the PDF of those preliminary projections: https://www.ambag.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/AMBAG%20RHNA%20Determination%2008.31.21_PDFA.pdf A couple weeks ago, Santa Cruz Local did a remarkable job of deciphering the AMBAG Regional Housing Needs Allocation process in their September 3, 2021, article citing that Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties need to create approximately 10,430 units over the next seven years. Here is the link to that article: https://santacruzlocal.org/2021/09/03/state-aims-to-triple-housing-production-in-santa-cruz-monterey-counties/ The Santa Cruz County Chamber will continue to monitor the AMBAG activities and encourage that our county and four cities do their part to produce their share of fair housing for our region. Stay tuned.
The road to housing affordability starts in our State Capitol with 31 housing bills signed by Governor Newsom and now moves to local government to use these legislative tools to address our California housing crisis. You can read the Governor’s press release here:
Governor Newsom signs affordable housing legislation to increase supply and accountability
In the release: “The acute affordability crisis we are experiencing in California was decades in the making, and now we’re taking the necessary steps to fix it,” said Governor Newsom, who signed the legislation at an affordable housing development in Oakland today. “This package of smart, bipartisan legislation boosts housing production in California – more streamlining, more local accountability, more affordability, more density. These bills, plus this year’s historic budget investments in affordable housing, will directly lead to more inclusive neighborhoods across the state. Creating denser housing near jobs, parks and schools is key to meeting our climate goals as well as our affordability goals.”
The San Jose Mercury News also covered the press conference on Tuesday. Here is their storyline: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/28/california-gov-newsom-signs-more-than-two-dozen-housing-bills/.
The key to how these legislative tools can help California cities and counties meet our housing needs is tied directly to current laws around planning and zoning for “each city’s fair share of housing,” a process that is underway for the next 7-year cycle. The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) cycle means local government will create more than 2.5 million units statewide — a doubling of the housing units from the 2015-2023 allocations requirements.
I have followed housing policy for over three decades throughout California but have never seen such a dramatic shift in state legislation addressing affordable housing. Here is the long list of legislative remedies:
• AB 68 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) – Department of Housing and Community Development: California Statewide Housing Plan: annual reports.
• AB 215 by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) – Planning and Zoning Law: housing element: violations.
• AB 345 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) – Accessory dwelling units: separate conveyance.
• AB 447 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – California Debt Limit Allocation Committee: income taxes: low-income housing tax credits.
• AB 491 by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) – Housing: affordable and market rate units.
• AB 571 by Assemblymember Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) – Planning and zoning: density bonuses: affordable housing.
• AB 602 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Development fees: impact fee nexus study.
• AB 634 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) – Density Bonus Law: affordability restrictions.
• AB 721 by Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) – Covenants and restrictions: affordable housing.
• AB 787 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Planning and zoning: housing element: converted affordable housing units.
• AB 838 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) – State Housing Law: enforcement response to complaints.
• AB 948 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) – Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers: disclosures: demographic information: reporting: continuing education.
• AB 1029 by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) – Housing elements: pro-housing local policies.
• AB 1043 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Housing programs: rental housing developments: affordable rent.
• AB 1095 by Assemblymember Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) – Affordable rental and owner-occupied housing: equity in state and local programs.
• AB 1297 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) – California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank: public and economic development facilities: housing.
• AB 1304 by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) – Affirmatively further fair housing: housing element: inventory of land.
• AB 1398 by Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) – Planning and zoning: housing element: rezoning of sites: pro-housing local policies.
• AB 1466 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) – Real property: discriminatory restrictions.
• AB 1584 by the Committee on Housing and Community Development – Housing omnibus.
• SB 263 by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) – Real estate applicants and licensees: education requirements: fair housing and implicit bias training.
• SB 290 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Density Bonus Law: qualifications for incentives or concessions: student housing for lower income students: moderate-income persons and families: local government constraints.
• SB 381 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Surplus residential property: priorities, procedures, price, and fund: City of South Pasadena.
• SB 478 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Planning and Zoning Law: housing development projects.
• SB 591 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Senior citizens: intergenerational housing developments.
• SB 728 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Density Bonus Law: purchase of density bonus units by nonprofit housing organizations.
• SB 791 by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) – California Surplus Land Unit.
The Governor previously signed:
• AB 1174 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Planning and zoning: housing: development application modifications, approvals, and subsequent permits.
• SB 8 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Housing Crisis Act of 2019.
• SB 9 by Senator Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) – Housing development: approvals.
• SB 10 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Planning and zoning: housing development: density.
The next step is to watch how local governments respond to state legislators’ and the Governor’s plea to move the needle on housing construction. Back home in Santa Cruz County, our county and the four cities are in preliminary discussions with our RHNA process in the Monterey Bay region. The Association of Monterey Bay Area Government (AMBAG) projects the following housing needs at 33,274 units (June 2023 to December 2031). Here is the PDF of those preliminary projections: https://www.ambag.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/AMBAG%20RHNA%20Determination%2008.31.21_PDFA.pdf
A couple weeks ago, Santa Cruz Local did a remarkable job of deciphering the AMBAG Regional Housing Needs Allocation process in their September 3, 2021, article citing that Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties need to create approximately 10,430 units over the next seven years. Here is the link to that article: https://santacruzlocal.org/2021/09/03/state-aims-to-triple-housing-production-in-santa-cruz-monterey-counties/
The Santa Cruz County Chamber will continue to monitor the AMBAG activities and encourage that our county and four cities do their part to produce their share of fair housing for our region. Stay tuned.