Focus

California approves roadmap for carbon neutrality by 2045

Associated Press – December 19

California air regulators voted unanimously last Thursday to approve an ambitious plan to drastically cut reliance on fossil fuels by changing practices in the energy, transportation, and agriculture sectors, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough to combat climate change. The plan sets out to achieve so-called carbon neutrality by 2045, meaning the state will remove as many carbon emissions from the atmosphere as it emits. It aims to do so in part by reducing fossil fuel demand by 86% within that time frame. Another goal would mean new residential and commercial buildings will be powered by electric appliances before the next decade.

News

Los Angeles mayor seeks to streamline affordable housing

NBC Los Angeles – December 18

Mayor Karen Bass has signed an executive directive expediting the approval and permitting process for fully affordable housing projects in Los Angeles. The move comes days after Bass signed an emergency declaration on homelessness as her first act as mayor. Under the directive, city departments must conduct all reviews and issue approvals for 100% affordable housing projects within 60 days. Once construction starts, the utility permitting and certificate of occupancy process must be completed within five days for affordable housing units and two days for temporary housing.

The White House tries a new tactic to combat homelessness

NPR – December 19

More people than ever are being moved out of homelessness in the U.S., just over 900,000 a year on average since 2017. The problem is that about the same number or more have lost housing in the past few years. The Biden administration’s latest plan to fight the homelessness crisis, released on Monday, calls for more action to keep people from losing their housing in the first place. The new plan includes a range of ways to boost the supply of affordable housing, as well as increase the number of emergency shelters and support programs. But its biggest change is a call for the “systematic prevention of homelessness,” focusing on those who are struggling to keep them from losing their housing.

San Francisco roadmap for 82,000 new homes gets key approval as Housing Element deadline looms

San Francisco Chronicle – December 16

The San Francisco Planning Commission on Thursday approved a state-mandated road map for how and where to build 82,000 homes over the next eight years, including 46,000 units for low- and moderate-income households. The vote came after a flurry of revisions that state housing officials asked the city to make to its Housing Element — a contract with the state that governs how and where California cities produce their share of residential development.

The January 31, 2023, deadline for Housing Element compliance is rapidly approaching for Bay Area governments. As explained in our prior alert, the so-called “Builder’s Remedy” under the Housing Accountability Act applies when a local jurisdiction has not adopted a revised Housing Element in compliance with state law, in which case the local jurisdiction cannot deny a qualifying housing development project even if it is inconsistent with the general plan and zoning ordinance (subject to limited exceptions).

San Jose becomes largest city in U.S. to abolish minimum parking

The Mercury News – December 7

The San Jose City Council eliminated parking requirements for new developments in a unanimous vote last Tuesday, shedding a post-World War II legacy that turned San Jose into one of the most “overparked” cities in the state, according to transportation advocates. The rule was a key roadblock in San Jose’s efforts to build more housing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But many residents, particularly in densely populated East San Jose, worry the policy could exacerbate parking woes in communities that have long been battlegrounds for curbside spaces.

San Diego approves rules for shifting infrastructure funding from wealthy areas to low-income neighborhoods

The San Diego Union-Tribune – December 12

San Diego’s efforts to bring more fire stations, parks, libraries, and new roads to neglected neighborhoods in the southern part of the city took a step forward on Monday when the City Council approved a new infrastructure funding policy. The policy includes a new scoring system that gives higher priority to neighborhoods that have been historically underserved and to neighborhoods considered the least prepared for climate change, mostly low-income areas where there are fewer trees and where air conditioning is less common. The new scoring system is expected to have a significant impact because the council approved a new policy in August — Build Better San Diego — that allows fees collected from developers to be funneled into low-income areas for infrastructure.

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