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CSAC Bulletin Articles: Housing

CSAC Bulletin Article

A Tool Kit To Close California’s Housing Gap

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

October 27, 2016

As California continues to grapple with an acute affordable housing crisis, all levels of government are looking at ways to rethink affordable housing financing and also the regulatory environment which can either help or hinder housing production.  Affordable housing was one of the main topics during the 2016 legislative session and while some progress was made on issues like density bonus, accessory dwelling units, and unlocking the potential for housing on existing properties with existing uses, larger issues remain unresolved.

CSAC Bulletin Article

LAO Report on Prop 13 Addresses Fiscalization of Land Use, Other Common Claims

Mark Neuburger Betsy Hammer

September 22, 2016

The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) recently released a lengthy report, “Common Claims About Proposition 13,” aimed at answering major questions about California’s landmark property tax limitation measure. The questions are familiar to people with knowledge of California’s complicated state-local fiscal relationship, but the LAO’s report cast doubts on some conventional wisdom, including a concept central to the ongoing debate about how to address California’s shortage of housing.

CSAC Bulletin Article

Governor Brown Signs Gaming Compacts with Eight Tribes

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

September 15, 2016

Governor Brown signed bills this week ratifying new or amended gaming compacts he had negotiated with eight California tribes. The compacts are required under federal law in order for the tribes to operate slot machines and certain types of card games in California. As the Governor’s press release notes, the Governor previously signed bills ratifying compacts with three other tribes in 2016, for a total of thirteen compacts ratified during the 2015-16 legislative session.

CSAC Bulletin Article

CARB Holds Workshop on Transportation and Land Use Strategies for GHG Reduction

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

September 15, 2016

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) hosted a public workshop on strategies in the transportation and land use sector to help achieve the State’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. The AB 32 Scoping Plan, which outlines the State’s comprehensive strategies to achieve our ambitious GHG reduction goals, is currently being updated to reflect the newest objective pursuant to SB 32 which requires reductions of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

CSAC Bulletin Article

Housing Land Use and Transportation Bills

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

September 2, 2016

Land Use and Housing Bills

In addition to the failure of Governor Brown’s “by-right” housing proposal, which had been linked with $400 million in funding for affordable housing, the housing and land use bills that CSAC weighed in on in 2016 met mixed fates at the end of the two-year session. While bills aimed at streamlining and creating incentives for various types housing production were passed, bills that would have increased funding to subsidize the development of affordable homes stalled.

Second Units

CSAC Bulletin Article

Housing Bills: Accessory Dwelling Units and Community Development Block Grant Fix

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

August 25, 2016

CSAC Bulletin Article

Transportation Funding Bills Unveiled

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

August 25, 2016

CSAC Bulletin Article

Transportation: Can the Legislature Act in August?

August 4, 2016

Read our Op-Ed in the Sacramento Bee about Transportation Funding

With the Legislature back in session for its last month of business before they adjourn for the year, many issues remain open. One significant remaining issue is whether they will be able to pass a meaningful package of revenue and reforms to address the state’s crumbling highways, streets, roads, and bridges. Unfortunately, there are no clear answers yet.

CSAC Bulletin Article

Several Housing Bills Also Still Pending

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

July 28, 2014

In addition to the ongoing transportation funding issue—for which special session bills are still alive—and the Governor’s “by-right” housing proposal, CSAC’s Housing, Land Use and Transportation policy staff will continue to engage on a variety of bills in the final month of regular session.

Second Units

CSAC Bulletin Article

Free Planning Help for California Communities

July 28, 2016

The California Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) has launched a program to provide pro bono professional planning assistance to financially constrained municipalities and community groups throughout California and Baja California. Known as CPAT (Community Planning Assistance Team), the program pairs expert planning professionals from throughout the State with residents and other stakeholders from communities with limited resources to solve specific local planning problems.

CSAC Bulletin Article

Declining Transportation Investment Impacts Jobs

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

July 21, 2016

While the deteriorating condition of our streets and roads and the lack of money to repair them has been the focus of CSAC’s transportation funding advocacy, CSAC and our partners in the Fix Our Roads Coalition wrote to the Legislature this week to stress some of the broader economic impacts of California’s transportation funding crisis.

CSAC Bulletin Article

CSAC, Cities Support Utility Relocation Funding

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

July 14, 2016

CSAC and the League of California Cities have partnered to support continued funding to move electric utility infrastructure underground. Together, we oppose a proposal from the Office of the Ratepayer Advocate (ORA) in the Public Utilities Commission that would eliminate funding for utility relocation projects in Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) service area.

CSAC Bulletin Article

Register Now For Transportation Funding Conference in Sacramento

July 14, 2016

CSAC Bulletin Article

By-Right Housing Proposal Lingers as Legislature Recesses

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

July 7, 2016

On July 1, the Legislature left the Capitol for summer recess without taking action on the Governor’s “by-right” housing proposal. Counties will recall that the Governor proposed statutory language to streamline the approval of certain housing projects that include affordable units as part of his May budget revision. While the legislative leadership and the Governor agreed to set aside $400 million for housing priorities contingent upon agreement on the by-right proposal, the issue was not resolved along with the rest of the budget.

CSAC Bulletin Article

Update on Land Use Planning Bills

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

June 30, 2016

CSAC removed its opposition to a bill related to the state’s density bonus law this week after securing amendments that would ease implementation for counties.  Under existing state law, residential developments that include specified percentages of affordable to low-income housing are offered higher-level density and other concessions by local governments. AB 2501 is aimed at improving that process.

CSAC Bulletin Article

HLT Bills of Interest

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

June 23, 2016

General Plans
SB 1000 (Leyva) – Support
As Amended on June 20, 2016

CSAC Bulletin Article

Second Residential Unit Bills in Policy Committee Next Week

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

While the inclusion of the “by-right” multifamily housing development proposal and funding to build housing under the “No Place Like Home” initiative in the Governor’s May budget revision have attracted a lot of attention and staff time, CSAC continues to work with legislators on other proposals that aim to reduce barriers to the development of second units. Second units can include a new dwelling unit built on the same property as an existing home, or the conversion of part of an existing dwelling like a garage.

CSAC Bulletin Article

HLT Policy Committee Update

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

The Housing, Land Use and Transportation Policy Committee meeting focused on the state’s housing shortage and the Governor’s proposal to streamline the development of multifamily housing that includes rental units affordable for lower-income households.

CSAC Bulletin Article

HLT Bills of Interest

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

May 5, 2016

General Plans
SB 1000 (Leyva) – Support if Amended
As Amended on April 12, 2016

CSAC Bulletin Article

Transportation Funding Update:
Major Amendments to SBX1 1

Kiana Valentine Mark Neuburger

April 29, 2016

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