Housing

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

How Berkeley turned firestorm housing fights into routine votes

“When I started development at Berkeley 35 years ago, I would go to public meetings and be compared to Hitler, Attila the Hun — I’m not exaggerating,” says Patrick Kennedy, a longtime local developer. “The local paper called [an eight-story building I built] a Stalinist monstrosity and monument to civic corruption.” 

Article Features By D’Andre D. Lampkin

Practical strategies for balancing state ADU goals with neighborhood capacity

California’s accessory dwelling unit laws opened a fast lane for homeowners to add small, independent homes to existing lots. But ministerial approval doesn’t mean anything goes: Cities can still respond to community concerns while meeting the statute’s requirements.  

Article Features By John Lorinc

People want to have kids and live downtown. Can they?

For decades, planners focused on attracting young singles to dense urban cores. That dynamic has shifted, in part because those young singles didn’t want to move to the suburbs to have kids. But many cities still don’t have enough affordable, family-sized housing or services.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Glendora is trying to house homeless residents. But it needs help to maintain momentum

Glendora plans to convert an assisted living facility into either permanent low-income housing or a mix of transitional and permanent housing. The city, which has spent $5 million thus far, needs to raise another $40-$50 million to make it a reality. 

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

‘People here were worried for nothing.’ Culver City residents get behind transitional housing

Culver City’s annual operating budget for homeless services has sharply increased to nearly $16.1 million. The agency’s investment is paying off. The latest Point-in-Time Count found that the number of homeless people in the city decreased from 229 to 105. 

People socializing outside neighborhood cottages
Article Features By Jackie Krentzman

‘We’re using 20th century tools to respond to 21st century problems,’ argues urbanist Daniel Parolek

Most neighborhoods used to have a mix of single-family homes and houses with multiple units. But today, many cities struggle to provide that same level of choice. Daniel Parolek says that’s because the systems needed to deliver those choices have disappeared.

Article Features By John Lorinc

Does transit-oriented development lead to gentrification? It’s complicated

“Displacement can happen across any income group,” says planner Karen Chapple, “and it can happen with benefits or with losses. The policy issue is, is the diversity of the neighborhood that you had before as sustained as the new transit improvement comes in?”

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

The small city of Colusa is determined to overcome a history of prioritizing single-family homes

A semi-rural city in Sacramento Valley added its first affordable housing project in close to a decade earlier this year. Colusa City Manager Jesse Cain says projects like these are critical to the community’s future, in part because many homes never hit the open market. 

Article Features by Jackie Krentzman

Housing in God’s backyard picks up as cities seek new ways to close the affordable housing gap

As congregations continue to dwindle, many churches and other houses of worship have found themselves with empty swaths of parking lots and land. Some are building affordable housing on the roughly 47,000 acres of potentially developable land. 

Article Legal Notes By Matthew R. Silver and Lauren E. Brown

Is your city complying with California’s substandard housing investigation rules?

While increasing affordable housing is typically at the forefront of most policymakers’ minds, remedying substandard conditions in existing homes is often overlooked. Three new laws look to change that, but local leaders need to act fast.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Beaumont tax tool reduces escrow surprises, improves tax transparency

Many California cities depend on Community Facilities Districts to fund the public services needed to support new homes. But sellers do not need to disclose these taxes until escrow, which can result in an unforeseen and challenging tax bill. 

A 5-over-1 residential building with ground-floor commercial space.
Article Features By Robert J. Landeros

Housing affordability has become a public service issue, with potentially devastating impacts

The high cost of housing has had repercussions on all aspects of life, including employee recruitment and retention. And while staffing shortages are impacting nearly every public service sector, they are potentially life-threatening for public safety.

Affordable apartments in South Lake Tahoe
Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

City officials work to keep South Lake Tahoe afforda-blue

South Lake Tahoe’s housing stock is controlled by regional growth limits. That stock became even more limited in 2020, as white-collar workers freed from downtown office commutes in pricier regions moved to the area. Home prices and rent soared by double digits, displacing many longtime residents and seasonal workers.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Santa Ana’s development renaissance captures national attention

Santa Ana has developed more affordable housing than any other city in Orange County. In fact, it’s on track to exceed its state-mandated housing goals for the second cycle in a row. But its most ambitious development is slated to open over the next decade.  

Article Local Works By Benjamin Garza

Backyard cottages are having a big impact in these two cities

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are easier to build than other housing units and blend seamlessly into the community. As a result, many cities are incentivizing ADUs to quickly increase housing — including Rosemead and Arcata. 

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Coachella is building its way to an energy-efficient future

Meeting the demand for housing can be a formidable task for California’s desert communities. On top of the usual challenges of cost, resources, and land availability, these cities must contend with relentless heat and accompanying energy costs exacerbated by climate change.

Article Legal Notes By Solange Z. Fortenbach and Stephen E. Velyvis

How could a new CEQA law impact your city’s infill housing projects?

AB 1633 (Ting) does not amend the California Environmental Quality Act. Instead, it clarifies that withholding approval of a housing development that otherwise meets the state’s environmental review law could be a violation of the Housing Accountability Act.

Article Features By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Hate campaigns are creating a ‘real legitimacy crisis’ says former Berkeley Council Member Rigel Robinson

At 27, Rigel Robinson’s political future was bright. His election to the Berkeley city council had broken barriers and his campaign for mayor won the endorsement of California Attorney General Rob Bonta. But earlier this year, he resigned, citing burnout and a long-running harassment campaign.

Article Local Works By Anthony Valdez 

Bakersfield, known for moving quickly to address California’s homeless crisis, has a simple message: More must be done

For the past two years, Bakersfield has had more homeless people living in shelter than those without shelter. Yet as is the case across California, Bakersfield is staring down an inflow crisis. For every six people placed in permanent housing locally, another ten become newly homeless. 

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

In this rural city, a ‘nothing off the table’ mindset gets housing built

California’s housing crisis stretches from one end of the state to the other. For many small cities, the odds often feel insurmountable. Huron — located in the state’s agricultural heartland — shows that progress is possible. Cities just can’t do it by themselves.