Mar 24, 2024 | Housing, Legislation, Opinion
Siyamak Khorrami
March 24, 2024
“The goal is to densify every town in the state. To densify it so that’d be walking around, not driving. In some places, it doesn’t work. But this whole policy has been applied as “one size fits all” with no complaining.”
Siyamak sits down with Amy Kalish, with https://citizenmarin.org/. She’s been studying what the Housing Mandates are for different cities in California. Amy’s going to tell us what’s happening with California communities.
Mar 22, 2024 | Legislation, Housing
by Ruth Dusseault and Bay City News Service
March 22, 2024
California’s attorney general may be getting more muscle to discipline local governments that have violated state housing law via a new bill that would allow fines to be levied more quickly.
Under Senate Bill 1037, announced Wednesday by Attorney General Rob Bonta and state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the attorney general could seek new penalties to be assessed from the date of a violation.
Mar 22, 2024 | Legislation
BY LYNN LA
MARCH 22, 2024
Thursday marked the final day for the Legislature before its starts a week-long spring break. So lawmakers were busy proposing and hearing some bills on contentious issues with deadlines coming up in late April and early May for them to advance.
Mar 12, 2024 | Legislation, Housing, Opinion
By MICHAEL BARNES
MARCH 12, 2024
Coastal zone residents will soon discover how dysfunctional the latest California Regional Housing Assessment has become.
The RHNA (pronounced REE-na) process, and the housing elements based on it, have always been bureaucratic, expensive, and ineffective. But thanks to the intervention of state Senator Scott Wiener, RHNA has been twisted into a profit-making tool for corporate developers.
Jan 25, 2024 | Housing, Legislation
Julie Johnson
Updated Jan 25, 2024 7:13 p.m.
Building housing is difficult virtually anywhere in California — but especially along the coast, where there can be an extra layer of permitting. One of the Legislature’s strongest advocates for more home-building is trying to change that — and he’s starting with the coastline of San Francisco.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, introduced legislation this month that would chip away at the authority of the California Coastal Commission.
Jan 24, 2024 | Legislation, Housing
by Gennady Sheyner
January 24, 2024
Cities will no longer be able to tack on impact fees to housing units that developers produce through California’s density-bonus program under legislation proposed by state Assembly member Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park.
The bill, known as Assembly Bill 2063, would apply to a range of fees — including inclusionary zoning fees and in-lieu fees — that cities currently tack on to housing developments. Cities use these fees to bolster their affordable housing funds and support community services such as libraries and parks.
