Once again, the chronic and acute shortage of housing in California takes center stage in this week’s blog, as has happened so many times over the past several years. This time, the spotlight is on Palo Alto, whose debates over development have also previously been featured here. The controversy at hand involves the tension between the development of additional market rate … [Read more...] about Housing crisis-inspired policy goals now at loggerheads in Palo Alto
housing crisis
Can SB 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, succeed in lowering barriers to residential development in California?
In my last blog post, I wrote about AB 1482, the statewide rent control bill adopted by the California legislature, which Governor Gavin Newsom has just signed. Awaiting action by Newsom momentarily is the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330), a measure intended to promote California housing construction by suspending certain local limitations on housing construction. While … [Read more...] about Can SB 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, succeed in lowering barriers to residential development in California?
State housing policies conflict with those of Los Altos and other cities as the struggle to solve California’s housing crisis moves to the courts
For better or worse, the acute, chronic lack of housing in the Golden State is once again the focus of attention. An analysis published recently by U.C. Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation shows that restrictive local zoning has inhibited the development of high-density housing projects in California. This report concludes that, notwithstanding market pressures … [Read more...] about State housing policies conflict with those of Los Altos and other cities as the struggle to solve California’s housing crisis moves to the courts
San Francisco passes law giving nonprofits first rights to purchase multifamily residential property
California’s shortage of housing, especially affordable housing, is a conundrum that becomes harder and harder to avoid with each passing day. It is only a slight exaggeration for me to say that it seems like I’ve blogged about this problem every month for years. In every conversation I have about Silicon Valley real estate, this situation raises its ugly head, regardless of … [Read more...] about San Francisco passes law giving nonprofits first rights to purchase multifamily residential property
More legislative approaches to California’s housing crisis heading down the pike
California’s perpetual dearth of housing and the state’s ongoing efforts to address that situation have been featured regularly in this blog. Concerns over this predicament have extended to the highest levels of California government: In 2017, Gavin Newsom promised to “lead the effort to develop the 3.5 million new housing units we need by 2025” if he were elected … [Read more...] about More legislative approaches to California’s housing crisis heading down the pike