California Housing: Jerry Brown looks to increase supply to cut costs

In his budget, Brown said it is local government, not the state, that is in control of whether housing projects get built. To encourage cities to act, he’s looking to the state legislature to write a bill that would force cities to waive certain conditional use permits, planned unit development permits or other discretionary reviews for so-called "affordable housing" projects that qualify under planning and zoning standards. 

“It is counterproductive to continue providing funding for housing under a system which slows down approvals in areas already vetted and zoned for housing, which only delays development and increases costs,” the revised budget states. 

Brown is also throwing his support behind other pro-development local strategies such as allowing larger accessory dwelling units on single-family lots, also known as granny flats.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2016/05/13/60629/gov-brown-opts-for-policy-changes-not-funding-to-b/

Carol Galante, a professor of affordable housing and urban policy at UC Berkeley, called Brown’s effort “forward-thinking” because it attempts to address bottlenecks in the development process. Its reliance on local governments to have already set aside enough land for residential development could limit its effects, she said. 

“Where this is going to help is with those cities who have already given lip service to higher-density zoning, but perhaps don’t really intend to see it through all the way,” Galante said.

Brown is likely to face opposition from local governments on his proposal. The League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties already have lined up against bills pending in the Legislature aimed at increasing housing supplyby removing local restrictions

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-brown-housing-plan-20160514-snap-story.html

The Governor also proposed some policy changes to facilitate development, a strategy he prefers to providing funds for low income people to afford rent. The boldest and most controversial is his plan for “as of right” development that would apply to nearly every project in San Francisco (that’s because it covers market rate projects with at least 10% inclusionary units near transit and 20% affordability in other areas. Most urban projects come under the lower criteria, and the passage of San Francisco’s Prop C this June requires 25% inclusionary for all projects). 

Brown explained his approach, “Hopefully, the supply is going to bring down the cost. Otherwise, through subsidies and through restrictions, we’re just spending more and more tax dollars and getting very, very little.” 

That will not be music to the ears of those San Francisco housing activists who see building market rate housing as worsening rather than alleviating the city’s affordability crisis. And if you think that Brown would be reluctant to overturn decades of local environmental legal challenges to affordable housing, recall his success in killing Redevelopment Agencies. 

I would not bet against him. The details still remain unclear, but Brown has left no doubt he will use state power to prevent local activists from blocking new housing.

http://www.beyondchron.org/gov-brown-rejects-new-housing-funds/
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