Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a package of bills designed to address the state’s housing affordability crisis.
The new laws aim to increase housing affordability in a number of ways, including streamlining approvals for certain projects and requiring local municipalities to develop plans to house California’s most vulnerable.
“Original sin is available in this state,” Newsom said at a news conference. “That’s the problem we’re trying to solve.”
The bill’s signing Thursday follows a series of actions taken by lawmakers in recent years to make housing affordable.
There are costly elements, such as the elimination of most duplex-only zoning, as well as more radar efforts that have boosted ADU production and eroded local governments’ ability to block housing developments.
One of those lesser-known bills is AB 2011, a bill by Assemblywoman Buffy Weeks (D-Oakland) that streamlines the approval process for housing projects on some commercial land if developers reserve some units for low-income residents.
On Wednesday, developer Thrive Living and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass celebrated the founder of what was announced as the first AB 2011 project to move forward in the city. The Baldwin Village development will consist of 800 apartments above the first floor of Costco. Just over 180 of these units will be for low-income households.
At his Thursday news conference, Newsom said the overall housing package includes 32 bills, and he signed seven bills at the event that would change a number of existing regulations to try to encourage more housing.
One measure Wicks made, AB 2243, would modify the law used by Thrive Living in Los Angeles. Under the new rules, developers will be able to get streamlined approval in more areas than they can now, including regional shopping centers and land closer to freeways.
Another bill, AB 3093 by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), would require local municipalities to provide affordable housing to households earning 0% to 15% of the area median income and 15% to 30% to be affordable.
Currently, low-income communities must plan for less than 50% of area median income, meaning that cities can theoretically meet these goals by building housing only for people earning 49% of local income.
Adding new categories, including lower-income ones, will help create more housing for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their homes, officials say.
Local municipalities will also face harsher penalties if they reject housing projects in a way that state law does not allow.
Under SB 1037, by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), communities would face civil penalties of up to $50,000 per month while violations persist. The money would be deposited into the state fund and used to build low-income housing in the community.
