CP&DR

Court Rules L.A. Inclusionary Housing Mandate Violates State Law

Aug 20, 2009

Housing, Legal Digest, Los Angeles County, Paul Shigley, Vol. 24 No. 10 Aug 2009 - 2

A state appellate court ruling striking down an affordable housing mandate in the City of Los Angeles could have statewide implications. Affordable-housing advocates and municipal attorneys say the decision, if it stands, calls into question inclusionary housing ordinances that require developers to set aside and price a certain percentage of new rental units at below-market rates.

Court Refuses To Consider RHNA Lawsuit

by Paul Shigley on Jul 15, 2009

Housing, Orange County, Paul Shigley, SCAG, Vol. 24 No. 08 Jul 2009 - 2

A courtroom is not the location to settle disputes over regional fair-share housing allocations. So ruled the Fourth District Court of Appeal on June 30 in a closely watched case involving the City of Irvine. As a result of the ruling, the city apparently is stuck with having to plan for development of 35,000 additional housing units ï¿½ equal to about half of its existing inventory ï¿½ over the next five years.

SF Draws Line On Industrial Area Gentrification

May 1, 2009

Housing, Morris Newman, Places, San Francisco, Vol. 24 No. 05 May 2009

The Eastern Neighborhoods Community Plans are complex, comprehensive documents that attempt to safeguard surviving industrial sites for business, while providing both incentives and requirements for new housing. The long-awaited planning documents essentially are declaring, "Gentrification stops here."

L.A. Density Bonus Law Struck Down

Apr 29, 2009

CP&DR Staff, Housing, In Brief, Los Angeles County, Vol. 24 No. 05 May 2009

The City of Los Angeles's closely watched density bonus ordinance has been struck down because the city did not subject the ordinance to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

Court Rejects In-Lieu Housing Fee Methodology

Mar 30, 2009

Housing, Legal Digest, Paul Shigley, San Joaquin County, Vol. 24 No. 04 Apr 2009

The City of Patterson's in-lieu affordable housing fee has been invalidated by the Fifth District Court of Appeal, which rejected the city's methodology for setting the fee. Homebuilders celebrated the decision as a victory in their long fight to constrain development fees, while affordable housing advocates and municipal attorneys described the ruling as limited.

Uptown Oakland Plan More Interesting Than You Think

Feb 3, 2009

Alameda County, Housing, Morris Newman, Oakland, Places, Vol. 24 No. 02 Feb 2009

Initially, the Uptown Oakland plan may not seem that exciting. But look closely, and you'll see heavy use of pleasant courtyard housing, the promise of better street life and close proximity to two BART stations.

Ins And Outs Of Affordable Residential Development

Jan 5, 2009

Housing, Paul Shigley, Redevelopment Watch, Vol. 24 No. 01 Jan 2009

The development of affordable housing is inherently difficult. Projects typically require multiple funding sources, face neighborhood opposition, and are closely watched by both skeptics and state housing officials.

Yet California's need for additional affordable housing is undeniable, despite the crash in real estate prices. So CP&DR shares this look at three different projects to offer lessons for anyone involved in providing housing affordable to people of modest means: a crime-ridden, market-rate condominium complex that the Rialto Redevelopment Agency rehabilitated as affordable apartments; a new, eye-catching project in an industrial part of San Jose that serves 218 households making less than half of median income; and a project in Contra Costa County that overcame what appeared to be imminent failure.

Riverside Stretches Federal Foreclosure Aid

Dec 31, 2008

Housing, Innovations, Morris Newman, Riverside County, Vol. 23 No. 01 Jan 2008

The City of Riverside's plan for spending $6 million in federal aid for foreclosures promises participation in nearly every category of rescue listed by the the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including rehabilitation, readying properties for sale to homeowners, and even demolishing properties that are too far gone and selling the land to Habitat for Humanity, the volunteer home building group.

Housing Market Sinks To New Depths

Nov 3, 2008

California, Housing, Paul Shigley, Vol. 23 No. 11 Nov 2008

The housing market slide that began during late 2006 and picked up speed in 2007 has become a full-fledged disaster in 2008. Housing starts are at their lowest level since anyone started keeping track, and prices continue to fall. Neither developers nor lenders are willing to start new projects, and analysts say the market may not turn around for at least three or four years.

Federal Housing Funds For California May Have Limited Impact

Sep 5, 2008

California, Housing, Insight, Vol. 23 No. 09 Sep 2008, William Fulton

The state and federal governments are throwing a lot of "new money" at the housing market in hopes of stabilizing prices and bailing out subprime mortgage borrowers. For California alone, the total looks to be several hundred million dollars – at least – in the next year alone. But is that anywhere near enough to make a dent in the problem?

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