A review of San Diego city records show that despite expenditures of billions of taxpayers dollars over the past four decades, more low-income units have been shut down than replaced. In the past six years, 10,000 affordable housing units have been removed from the city’s housing stock while that same number has been built since 1979. Additionally 9,290 single-room occupancy hotel rooms have been demolished, converted, or removed from the low-income housing stock. And 1,500 low-income rental units were converted to condos, with 749 units lost to property owners who chose not to renew federal rental subsidy contracts. Developers have paid more than $95 million in affordable housing fees, which have helped to bring back 2,980 units since 2005. The city is now looking at how to deal with the housing supply issue for low-income residents.
Eureka May Flout Guidelines on Sea Level Rise
The City of Eureka released a new draft report that shows many of the city’s most important areas completely submerged under water by the year 2100. The California Coastal Commission issued a Sea Level Policy Guidance document advises cities and counties to seriously plan for continued rising seas and base their planning policies on the worst-case scenario projections. The difference for Eureka for high and low projects are more than five feet and only two feet by 2100. However, Community Development Director Rob Holmlund said he disagrees with the Coastal Commission’s recommendations and thinks development can continue in the areas that are projected to be flooded by 2100. For instance if current buildings in projected flooded areas wanted to expand, the planning commission would have to deny the project. The City Council will decide at a future meeting whether they agree with Holmlund or the Coastal Commission’s guidelines.
S.F. Rejects Project over Insufficient Analysis of Displacement
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a 157-unit Mission District development claiming that city planners failed to take into account the impact on displacement and gentrification in the heart of the city’s working-class Latino community. City planners must now complete further studies on the impact the development may have on the neighborhood. Many anti-gentrification groups have fought to have gentrification included as an environmental impact in CEQA analysis. This is believed to be one of the first project rejections based explicitly on concerns about displacement.
Report Contends Low-Income Housing Does Not Depress Property Value
Real estate website Trulia reports that development of new low-income housing in San Francisco does not seem to negatively affect neighboring property values, as some stakeholders contend. The study looked at 90 projects built between 1996 and 2006 that qualified for affordable housing tax credits. They found no statistically significant difference in price per square foot between homes within 2,000 feet of the affordable site and those further away in the same neighborhood. This is consistent with other research conducted in the past few years from Stanford, DC-based nonprofit National Housing Conference, and the National Association of Realtors.
Poll: Californians Value Coastal Access
A Field/ IGS Poll recently released by the UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability suggests beaches are central to Californians’ identity. However many still have widespread concerns over barriers to coastal access, including cost and availability of parking and overnight accommodations. The survey asked 1,800 registered voters and 90 percent of respondents said the condition of the coast is important to them personally with 57 percent saying “very important” and 33 percent “somewhat important”. The study also found households making less than $40,000 a year go to the beach considerably less frequently than their wealthier neighbors. The Coastal Act mandates that all beaches be accessible to the public. The California Coastal Commission has held several workshops to help enhance low-cost visitor services.
Controversial Gaviota Coast Plan Adopted
Santa Barbara County Supervisors voted, 3-2, to adopt a final draft of the Gaviota Coast Plan. The process has taken more than seven years and 130 public meetings. The 240-page document provides fair and balanced guidelines and regulations for agriculture, development, and public access between western Goleta and Vandenberg Air Force Base. The intentions are to support farmers and ranchers and preserving the rural landscapes. Those opposed cited issues with allowing the public to walk on trails through private land and issues with the approach to endangered-species habitat.
San Jose to Loosen Restrictions on ADU’s
The San Jose City Council has eased restrictions on accessory dwelling units to help address increasing rents and homelessness. City officials estimates 2,721 illegal secondary units are in San Jose and not all of them are up to code. Last year the city only issued 13 permits. New state legislation and the changes by the city will make it easier to build accessory units. Bay Area Council estimates that if only 10 percent of Santa Clara County homeowners build a second unit it could add more than 34,000 units to the housing stock. The easing of restrictions include loosening design requirements, allowing secondary units to be built on smaller lots, reducing setbacks and relaxing required parking requirements. The changes will go into effect January 1st.
Santa Clara Clashes with 49ers over Stadium Finances
Santa Clara City Council voted to find the 49ers in violation of the voter-approved agreement governing the management of the team’s 68,500-seat home field. The San Francisco 49ers two years ago moved to Santa Clara’s $1.2 billion Levi’s Stadium and are now facing criticism for lack of financial transparency. According to Mayor Lisa Gillmor the management firm ManCo has consistently neglected to share important documents with the authority including maintenance and operation plan, annual and five-year capital expenditure plans, and detailed budget reports. The council gave the team 30 days to come up with the documents or the city could move to take over stadium management on the grounds that the team has breached its lease deal. Attorneys for the team say all documents have been provided and are available. The City is worried they are spending resources that are not being reimbursed.
SGC Releases Draft Guidelines for Community Climate Grants
The Strategic Growth Council released Draft Scoping Guidelines for the Transformative Climate Communities Program. This scoping document does not represent the full Draft Guidelines for the program, but is intended to provide an initial framework for public comment. We recognize that many areas presented in the document require additional work and discussion, and we look forward to public input to help inform development of the Draft Guidelines. The SGC plans to release the Draft Guidelines for the Program in late January or early February of 2017. Release of the Draft Guidelines will be accompanied by multiple public workshops throughout the state as well as additional public comment periods to inform development of the Program. Comments on this scoping draft are due to SGC by January 9, Comments are welcome at tccpubliccomments@sgc.ca.gov
Quick Hits & Updates
Instead of a last-minute push on transportation funding, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders declared there would be no lame-duck negotiations this month as previously expected. The current two-year sessions of the legislature officially ends Nov. 30th and talks on a $3.6-billion transportation plan have been in limbo since adjourning in August. The new legislature will convene in January and Brown and legislative leaders remain committed to working on the issue.
For the second year in a row the US Department of Housing and Urban Development listed Los Angeles as having the largest number of chronically homeless people in the nation, nearly 13,000 and 95 percent live outdoors. Federal housing officials blame increasing rents and Congress’ failure to fund affordable housing.
The new passenger rail service from downtown San Bernardino to the University of Redlands will officially be known as “Arrow.” The new branding would give SanBAG more flexibility in expanding its service throughout the county. The system was previously known as Redlands Passenger Rail Project.
The Santa Cruz Planning Commission is concerned about an environmental study of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf’s renovation and 2.5-acre expansion. The city’s Economic and Planning Departments filed a joint report that finds a full-length EIR isn’t required as most impacts could be mitigated to less-than-significant levels. More than 2,000 residents signed an online petition opposing the “Morphing of the wharf.”
The Fresno City Council approved, 5-2, a resolution to strengthen the code enforcement unit dedicated to combating substandard housing. The two initiatives include an Anti-Slumlord Enforcement Team (ASET) and a landlord-tenant ombudsman. ASET has 14 personnel including six code enforcement inspectors and three attorneys dedicated full-time to substandard housing cases.
The Strategic Growth Council will host Lessons Learned Workshops to reflect on the 2016 round of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program. The workshops are Dec. 8 in Merced, Oakland Dec. 12, and Long Beach Dec. 14th. AHSC program staff will facilitate roundtable discussions on a variety of aspects and will take feedback and suggestions during the sessions.
The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper announced they are suing to block the federal Department of the Interior from issuing new permits for offshore fracking in Southern California and the Santa Barbara Channel. The target of the lawsuit is the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
Supporters for California secession took first formal steps by submitting a proposed ballot measure to the state attorney general’s office in the hopes of a statewide vote as soon as 2018. The Yes California group has been around for two years and says it is based on the California taxpayers paying more money to the federal government that the state receives in spending. The group already has 13,000 volunteers to help collect the required signatures to be placed on the ballot. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)
