Focus
California PUC proposes pilot programs to decarbonize buildings
Utility Dive – February 18
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last week issued a proposed decision outlining two new pilots that would set the state on the path toward decarbonizing its buildings, which currently contribute a quarter of the state's greenhouse gas emissions. The commission is proposing to launch the Building Initiative for Low-Emissions Development program, which would incentivize near-zero emissions technologies in new residential buildings, and the Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating initiative, which would build out the market for low-emission space and water heaters in new and existing residential buildings. The pilots stem from Senate Bill 1477, legislation signed by then-Governor Jerry Brown in 2018. The two programs are estimated to cost $200 million over four years.
|
News
California builders in late 2019 rushed to beat solar requirement for new homes
East Bay Times – February 16
California homebuilders rushed to take out new building permits at the end of last year, apparently to avoid the state’s new requirement that all new homes be solar-powered starting this year. However, a 13 percent jump in residential permits issued in the final three months of 2019 failed to offset a 7 percent drop in permits for the year as a whole. The decline in homebuilding comes as state leaders are trying to boost housing construction to address the housing crisis. The state Department of Housing and Community Development had set a goal of building 180,000 new houses, apartments, and condominiums each year. Yet, preliminary figures from the California Homebuilding Foundation’s CIRB report showed that just over 110,000 new housing permits were issued in 2019 — far below state production goals and down from the permit total in 2018 of nearly 118,000 units.
S.F. ballot measure ties office growth to housing
San Francisco Chronicle - February 18
San Francisco’s skyline is growing, and the economy is booming as developers prepare to build another wave of office projects. But a powerful, longtime South of Market activist wants to hit the brakes, and he’s asking voters to help. The March primary election will include Proposition E, sponsored by activist John Elberling and his nonprofit, Todco. If passed, Proposition E would reduce the amount of office space the city can approve each year by a percentage equal to the city’s affordable housing shortfall. That shortfall is based on a state-mandated goal of building at least 2,042 homes per year. The measure would almost certainly cut office growth, because the city has built an average of 712 affordable units a year in the past decade. The initiative would further tighten Proposition M, a 1986 voter-approved law that limits the city to approving no more than 875,000 square feet of large office projects each year. If the city approves less, the unused square footage rolls over to future years.
Peninsula city uses new state law to increase affordable housing density
The Mercury News – February 17
After the defeat of a controversial proposal to boost housing density throughout California, San Mateo may become the first city to use a different state law to increase the number of affordable housing units on a new project east of downtown. Housing advocates say they expect more Bay Area cities to rely on Assembly Bill 1763, effective as of last month, which says that low-income housing projects can be denser and taller, regardless of what local guidelines allow. Under AB 1763, a proposed five-story, 164-unit project in San Mateo could be turned into a seven-story complex with 225 units for low-income families. “I am thrilled we are starting to see cities take advantage of this new law to provide more affordable housing,” the bill’s author, Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), said in an emailed statement. The San Mateo project — from nonprofit developer MidPen Housing — is the first the lawmaker’s office is aware of to rely on the new law, and must still gain final approval from the City Council after community meetings.
Should cars be banned on Broadway in downtown L.A.?
Los Angeles Times – February 16
Banning cars from downtown streets is beginning to catch on in major U.S. cities, with New York and San Francisco moving to free up space for transit vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. But the trend hasn’t come to Los Angeles — yet. A proposal introduced by Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar could change that. Huizar asked city officials last week to study the feasibility of a ban on driving and parking along a 1.5-mile stretch of Broadway between 1st and 12th streets. If approved, the ban would be the biggest transportation change along Broadway since the region’s streetcars were ripped out after World War II and the Metro subway opened in 1993. Broadway would be the first major street in Los Angeles to go car free. Last month, Councilman Mitch O’Farrell’s office proposed a dramatic overhaul of Hollywood Boulevard along the Walk of Fame that could include far less space for private cars.
Chula Vista school district wants to build affordable housing for teachers
The San Diego Union-Tribune – February 16
Chula Vista Elementary School District is asking voters to approve a bond measure that would build 100 units of affordable housing for its teachers and staff. The measure’s proposed $65 million teacher housing project would be the first in San Diego County and one of a growing number in California. Teacher housing is an idea gaining interest around the country with school districts grappling with housing affordability problems and teacher shortages. Across California several districts, mostly in northern California and Los Angeles, have approved or considered housing for teachers or other staff. A state law passed in 2016, the Teacher Housing Act, allows districts to provide affordable housing just for educators and staff.
|