After years of dithering and hoping the problem would go away, California is finally taking steps to address its housing crisis. In 2017 the state passed a series of bills designed to encourage the construction of new affordable housing — streamlining the regulatory approval…
Bay Area’s housing crisis is forcing tenants out of the cities
It doesn’t make any sense to me why the mayor of Berkeley, Jesse Arreguín, recently called the housing bill SB 827 proposed by the California State Senate a “declaration of war against our neighborhoods.” He sees the bill as dangerous and believes…
Better infrastructure and density are not mutually exclusive
San Francisco Examiner columnist Sally Stephens recently wrote that San Francisco needs to build the appropriate infrastructure for transit and fire safety before building new homes in the western and southern neighborhoods of The City. As a resident of the Richmond, I…
The New Corn Laws: Why Housing Costs Are So High
California is losing its native-born working and middle classes, with net positive domestic migration only among those earning over $90,000. Likewise, the only educational group with net domestic migration into California are Americans with graduate degrees. The biggest recipient state…
California’s Housing Crisis Builds Appetite To Limit Local Control
As local governments in San Diego County work to encourage more housing production to alleviate the region’s housing crisis, lawmakers in Sacramento are debating changes to a long untouchable facet of California law: local control over housing and land use.…
California gears up for a battle over single-family zoning near transit
SACRAMENTO — Taking aim at climate change, highway gridlock and soaring housing costs, a California lawmaker has ignited a red-hot debate with a proposal that would force cities to allow more apartments and condominiums to be built a short walk from train…
SB 827 Amendments: Strengthening Demolition & Displacement Protections
When I introduced Senate Bill 827 — my bill to allow more housing near public transportation — I was clear that I would have an open door and actively seek feedback to make the bill as strong and effective as it can be. SB…
A sweeping new bill targets California’s housing crisis
California is in the midst of crippling housing crisis. The state’s population has steadily grown, but it hasn’t been building new places for people to live at anything close to the same rate. It now ranks 49th in housing units per capita. The…
Local zoning is getting in the way of housing
For a long time, being an environmentalist meant stopping things – dirty power plants, the clear cutting of trees and new dams. But in the battle against climate change, we must build – specifically, more affordable homes for our growing…
Senate Bill 827 could raise height limits throughout SF, transform city
A state bill seeking to solve California’s housing crisis by encouraging denser, taller housing near transit could force a striking, historic rezoning of much of San Francisco. Senate Bill 827, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, could allow…