Thanks folks, for playing a key role in stopping 7 of the 9 bad luxury housing bills in Sacramento. We hear that a mystery mogul blames us for killing his favorite market-rate density housing bill, jammed with drool-worthy incentives he didn’t need. We’re fine with mad moguls.
On a more serious note, a very smart bill died, SB 1299 (Portantino), which would have rewarded cities to remake large idled stores, victims of e-commerce, into apartments.
SB 1120 Update:
- Amidst chaos at midnight on Aug. 31, Toni Atkins and Scott Wiener tried to pass radical SB 1120 with two minutes to go, betting on a morass of disinformation.
- They said SB 1120, which would end single-family zoning and let builders jam 4- to 8-units where 1 home is now, impacting 7.4M homeowners, was a modest “duplex” bill.
- Our analyst spotted the truth in the bill’s dense wording: SB 1120 allowed up to 8 units, with no garage and no yard, on single-family streets. We were called “confused.” No.
- On Dec. 7, the money behind Wiener will try again, with Son of SB 1120. Get ready folks!
What’s Needed: Since 2016, Sacramento has upped the rewards for market-rate developers and increasingly handed planning power directly to them. The result: a glut of vacant luxury units. A legislative FAIL. The need is for affordable units for the working-class and poor. How many years will Sacto waste?
- The California legislature defunded affordable housing in 2011 and never put the $1.5B per year back. Gov. Newsom should pledge to find a way, then do it.
- But how can the state reform itself when the media flings disinformation?
L.A. Times consistently misreported SB 1120 as a “duplex” bill, among its many bias-fueled errors. The New York Times still embraces the false claim of a 3.5M housing shortage — a wild exaggeration by McKinsey, now rejected by Gov. Newsom.
- Cities need autonomy and housing funds, not misfiring state laws. Bad legislation is why we’re seeing races like Bry v. Gloria in San Diego, and Fielder v. Wiener in San Francisco, where legislators too tight with developers are under challenge for local and state seats.
- At our Saturday 10 a.m. teleconference, you’ll hear from Embarcadero Institute about the state’s vast error in double-counting future housing needs — an epic screwup. But for now, click HERE to send a wake-up letter to Sacramento!
PLEASE DONATE TO HELP US OUT. RIGHT NOW, CLICK HERE! Yes, join us! We’re a grassroots organization up against huge tech and global investors who beg for incentives to build state-ordered density amidst COVID. It’s like a bad Off-Broadway play. So please do your part!
Livable California is a non-profit statewide group of community leaders, activists and local elected officials. We believe in local answers to the housing affordability crisis. Our robust fight requires trips to Sacramento & a lobbyist going toe-to-toe with power. Please donate generously to LivableCalifornia.org here.
Livable California
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San Francisco, CA 94103
United States
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