Policy & Legislation
Housing Planning Activity Heating Up
August 26, 2009
Growing recognition of the link between air pollution and local land-use decisions is providing housing advocates with exciting opportunities to improve multifamily zoning practices. Recent activities in this arena include:
- Housing CA and five regional housing associations weighed in with the committee wrestling with setting each region's greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. We urged the Regional Targets Advisory Committee to endorse research and modeling that will quantify the link between a better "jobs-housing fit" and decreased GHG emissions. "Jobs-housing fit" is the extent to which apartments and for-sale homes in a community are affordable to the people who currently work there or who will fill anticipated jobs. The committee agreed with us and is now drafting its recommendations for the Air Resources Board.
- Senator Darrell Steinberg's SB 575 continues its easy path through the Assembly, passing the Appropriations Committee with a 12 to 5 vote on August 19, 2009. This "clean-up" measure modifies some of SB 375's provisions relating to housing element due dates and drafting errors. Housing CA is closely following the bill.
- The San Diego Association of Governments has formed a stakeholder committee to advise its development of the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) required by SB 375. Among other components, the SCS will identify areas in the region sufficient to house all economic segments of the population for the next 20 years. Professor Nico Calavito represents the affordable homes community on the committee, and San Diego Housing Federation staff is working closely with him.
The next year will see additional state-level activity to implement SB 375, with the focus then shifting to regional and local governments.
Contact Julie Snyder, 916.447.0503 x102 or .
