The battle cry for housing in California and many other states is “More Affordable Housing.” But what happens when California tries to force affordable housing in every city in the state?
The guerrilla war between Gov. Gavin Newsom and some of California’s 482 cities over housing policy is heating up.
The state has imposed quotas on local governments to provide – on paper – enough land for much-needed housing, particularly projects for low- and moderate-income families, and streamline permits for projects.
While most are complying, albeit with some reluctance, others are trying to thwart the mandate. Resistance is strongest in small suburban cities dominated by wealthy residents who live in spacious homes on very large lots and don’t want dense condo or apartment projects to spoil the bucolic atmosphere of their neighborhoods.
Local governments in the San Francisco Bay Area had until Jan. 31 to submit plans for meeting their state-imposed quotas for facilitating housing construction, and many of them missed it. They were supposed to identify enough land for the required number of housing units and the steps they were taking to make development feasible.
While declaring state, regional and local housing needs has been underway for decades, until recently there was virtually no backlash for failure.
However, the most recent version, aimed at adding 2.5 million housing units by 2030, a million of them affordable to low-income families, is different. Fun Fact: that is over 350,000 new living units every year until 2030.
Gov Newsom’s housing plan is seen as YIMBY (Yes in Back Yard) versus NIMBY (Not in Back Yard) with wealthier cities being the NIMBYs.
Huntington Beach is one of the cities refusing to obey the Governor’s plan and City Councilman, Pat Burns wrote in a letter to his colleagues prior to their action. “Radical redevelopment in already-established residential neighborhoods is not only a threat to quality and lifestyle but to the value of the adjacent and neighboring properties.”
Afterward, Newsom’s office tweeted, “Tonight, Huntington Beach leaders decided that their residents don’t need affordable housing. This is a pathetic pattern by politicians more focused on taking down pride flags than on real solutions. CA needs more housing. Time for Huntington Beach to start acting like it.”
One group of California homeowners is blaming the Federal government’s open border policy for the rising in homelessness and the need for housing in the Southwest and California.
Look for more cities to challenge the Governor’s order as time goes on.
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder magazine. Email at [email protected]
