California Housing Bills Face Crucial Hearing Today
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. This week’s newsletter takes a look at two important pieces of California legislation and the crucial committee hearings that they face today.
Getting the YIMBY Revolution Working
Over the past half-decade or so, the California Legislature has passed dozens of bills that peel back state and local restrictions on home construction.
Despite this flurry of new legislation, actual home construction in the Golden State has continued to stagnate. As a report from YIMBY Law detailed back in February, developers have been slow to make use of laws that are designed to make their jobs easier.
The conclusion of that report, and a consensus among the state’s housing supply advocates, is that reforms have been hopelessly compromised by legislative mandates and politically convenient carve-outs to powerful interest groups.
Builders are allowed to bypass local zoning rules to build homes on commercial corridors and church land, provided they include affordable housing, pay union wages, build to exacting environmental standards, and more. Local governments, often none too keen on new housing, have proven remarkably creative at designing roadblocks to stop housing projects that benefit from state-level streamlining.
“Everybody wants a piece,” said YIMBY Law’s Sonja Trauss to CalMatters back in February. “The pieces taken out during the process wind up derailing the initial concept.”
This year, the Legislature is considering a number of bills to limit some of these mandates and overcome local obstructionism.
Among the 13 housing bills scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Housing Committee today are Senate Bill 677 and Senate Bill 79.
The former would add many additional protections to lot splits and duplex projects that were legalized on paper in 2021 via that year’s Senate Bill 9. The latter would allow more apartments near transit stops.
Proponents of the bills say they’ll go a long way toward getting the state’s YIMBY revolution working. But late-breaking opposition from many of the same groups that demanded compromising carve-outs in the first place, and a supply-skeptical Housing Committee chair, could derail these efforts.
Fixing Missing Middle
Perhaps the most underperforming California YIMBY bill is S.B. 9. Passed in 2021 and implemented in 2022, the bill [link pls
Article from Reason.com
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.
