Menlo Park has determined that the application for the controversial “Willow Park” development at 80 Willow Road, the site of the former Sunset Magazine headquarters, is not consistent with city development standards. As the project was submitted under the ‘builder’s remedy’ provision of state housing law, this determination does not amount to a denial of the project. Consistency review is a required step under state housing law, even if it does not necessarily change the outcome of the project.
Developers who have reaped millions of dollars from an affordable housing program for middle-income renters with sometimes little-to-no discounts from market rents have spent hundreds of thousands on lobbying and campaign donations in recent years in a bid to keep lawmakers from imposing regulations. The expenditures represent a fraction of the $32 million the California real estate industry as a whole spent on lobbying the state legislature and the executive branch in the past three years.
The average Bay Area household is getting smaller. According to experts, that means more housing is required to accommodate a stagnating Bay Area population.
The shrinkage in household size can largely be attributed to young people living solo as well as older empty-nesters. The trend isn’t unique to the Bay Area — both ends of the age spectrum are increasingly opting to live with fewer people, a shift that is undoubtedly impacting the housing market.
Last week New York housing advocates celebrated the passage of the “City of Yes” legislation, a plan to rezone the city of 8 million in order to encourage the construction of 82,000 units over the next 15 years, with Mayor Eric Adams calling it “the most pro-housing piece of legislation in city history.” But for those who track housing politics in the Bay Area, the news stood out for another reason: 82,000 happens also to be the number of units state housing officials are mandating that San Francisco — a city with one-tenth of the population of New York
THE U.S. HOUSE GETS A YIMBY CAUCUS
California Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have said “Yes In My Back Yard.”
Members of the newly-launched YIMBY Caucus want to boost affordable housing nationwide by pushing policies aimed at boosting the construction of those homes.
“The cost of rent is far too high. We must act to expand affordable housing options,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, a co-chair of the caucus.
San Diego officials finally closed the zoning loophole pitting neighbor against neighbor in coastal communities — but angst continues over the many backyard apartments it has already allowed directly along property lines.
Two neighbors in Crown Point haven’t spoken for months, and a new backyard apartment on their property line remains unfinished because one neighbor won’t allow the other to access his yard to stucco the last wall.
A weekly Zoom call to talk about housing legislation and strategies to preserve local control. Bring your questions and ideas. Informal networking, announcements, and updates. PLEASE NOTE: You have to register in advance the first time to get the new Zoom link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The Zoom link will work for the rest of the year. REGISTER
A weekly Zoom call to talk about housing legislation and strategies to preserve local control. Bring your questions and ideas. Informal networking, announcements, and updates. PLEASE NOTE: You have to register in advance the first time to get the new Zoom link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The Zoom link will work for the rest of the year. REGISTER
A weekly Zoom call to talk about housing legislation and strategies to preserve local control. Bring your questions and ideas. Informal networking, announcements, and updates. PLEASE NOTE: You have to register in advance the first time to get the new Zoom link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The Zoom link will work for the rest of the year. REGISTER
A weekly Zoom call to talk about housing legislation and strategies to preserve local control. Bring your questions and ideas. Informal networking, announcements, and updates. PLEASE NOTE: You have to register in advance the first time to get the new Zoom link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The Zoom link will work for the rest of the year. REGISTER
A weekly Zoom call to talk about housing legislation and strategies to preserve local control. Bring your questions and ideas. Informal networking, announcements, and updates. PLEASE NOTE: You have to register in advance the first time to get the new Zoom link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The Zoom link will work for the rest of the year. REGISTER
