Recent rulings from the high-profile cities of Berkeley and Beverly Hills got a lot of publicity. But less publicized settlement agreements from Davis and Clovis show just how scared cities are getting about housing litigation.
After losing in appellate court and with a trial looming, the Fresno-area city reaches a wide-ranging settlement agreement including upzoning, inclusionary housing, a housing trust fund, and more.
City agrees to move project forward without required vote, while developer agrees to increase affordable housing from 20% to 25% of project and agree to an EIR.
You'd think the ADU wars would be over. But in recent court decisions, Malibu lost an attempt to subject an ADU to a coastal development permit, while Coronado succeeded in limiting the combined size of an ADU and the adjacent house.
California has always had a lot of planners. But now cities and other agencies are having trouble filling positions for an increasingly stressful and busy job. It's partly because of housing prices -- but there are other reasons too.
The state's action on housing has focused on making entitlements easier to get. But housing production hasn't gone up. Maybe there aren't enough developers and planners left in the state to get the job done.
The ruling came after HCD rejected the city's housing element for a third time. The city's attorney says Beverly Hills is appealing the case and therefore the suspension won't go into effect immediately.
