Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a package of housing bills aimed at tackling the affordable housing crisis, which Newsom called the “original sin” of the state.
on Wednesday signed a package of housing bills aimed at tackling the affordable housing crisis, which he called the “original sin” of the state. “It touches more things in more ways on more days than any other issue,” Newsom said at the bill signing event held in San Francisco Wednesday morning.
“It is at the core of the expression of the frustration that so many of us have about our state and our future." There are 38 bills in the package total, dealing with everything from farmworker housing, to construction financing, to homelessness, to mobile homes to accessory dwelling units. But the two Newsom highlighted on Wednesday both make it easier to build housing on commercial-zoned properties. Assembly Bill 2011 and Senate Bill 6 both seek to spur the development of millions of potential new housing units by bypassing many steps of the local approvals process and making certain residential projects an allowed use of commercial properties primarily zoned for office, retail or parking., author of AB 2011, said at the bill signing. “It says you know what, we have an abundance of retail space, we have an abundance of office parks that are no longer being utilized, and we have a real deficit of housing. Let’s use that land for what it should be for — homes so people have housing security.”, differ is in the affordability requirements of the housing and labor requirements on the construction projects. That garnered them alternating opposition and support from affordable housing developers on one side and construction unions on the other. The dispute stalled the bills late this summer, but someby state Senate leaders allowed both bills to make it out of the Legislature before the end of the session. With both bills' passage, developers can choose which of the two processes they want to follow for each project.AB 2011 will create a streamlined approval process that bypasses some requirements in the California Environmental Quality Act and some hurdles that local governments often put in front of development projects, such as parking requirements. In return, it requires that some or all of the units in the projects be set aside as affordable, and that contractors pay workers on those projects a prevailing wage. For projects with 50 units or more, contractors would be required to seek to bring on apprentices from a state-approved apprenticeship program. Under SB 6, there would be no affordability requirement for the housing units in the project, which could include mixed-used retail, commercial and office uses as long as at least 50% of the project’s square footage was residential. However, there would be stricter labor requirements. SB 6 would require contractors to use a"skilled and trained workforce" — a legal standard that, in effect, means that most of the workers on the job would be union members. Newsom also used the news conference Wednesday to warn cities that have been slow to approve some of the new housing the state needs to ease the housing crisis.The remarks came after the California Department of Housing and Community Development announced last month that it was investigating the city of San Francisco’s housing construction approval process. The city has the longest timeline in the state for advancing new construction projects, and has been the subject of more complaints to the department than any other jurisdiction. “Just build housing. It’s not even that complicated,” Newsom said. “It’s Econ 101. Build more housing.” There are still around 400 bills on Newsom’s desk awaiting his signature, he said Wednesday, and he has less than 72 hours to get through them. Remaining bills that don’t get the governor’s veto by Friday are enacted automatically.Structures, the most anticipated real estate awards program of the year, is back and in-person! Hear about the latest projects and celebrate the biggest accomplishments of the year as we gather together in downtown San Jose.The Business Journal is looking for the most influential women in the Silicon Valley to honor in our prestigious special publication and event.
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