Bay Area Housing Policy:

The State of Play

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?) 2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Discussion questions6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?)2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Various thoughts– culture wars, hacking, etc.6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

Google searches: “affordable housing” (in SF Bay area)

Prices really do seem to be going up a lot!

Benefits of density

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?)2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Various thoughts– culture wars, hacking, etc.6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

Vehicles of Local Housing Policy

• Zoning against multi-unit buildings• Minimum lot sizes

E.g.:• Los Altos Hills entirely zoned for one acre lots• Much of Palo Alto zoned for 8,000 sq ft single family lots (less

extreme)• (typical) process for requesting rezoning

• Etc.

Vehicles of Local Housing Policy

• Zoning against multi-unit buildings• Minimum lot sizes• Parking requirements

Example from Hayward munipal code:

… it goes on …

Vehicles of Local Housing Policy

• Zoning against multi-unit buildings• Minimum lot sizes• Parking requirements• Height limits• Minimum apartment sizes• Historical building preservation• Rent control• “affordable” housing requirement for each project (SF)

SF and cities– planning department organizes “city plan” and “neighborhood plans” which end up determining the nature of all these regulations.

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?)2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Various thoughts– culture wars, hacking, etc.6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)

Impact– not much.

California Environmental Quality Act

Easily used to delay projects whether or not there are real environmental concerns.

Recent SF controversey– Scott Wiener trying to make it harder to raise CEQA objections.

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?)2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Various thoughts– culture wars, hacking, etc.6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

The players:

• developers• advocates for low income people• environmentalists• construction unions (I’ve heard of unions using CEQA to force developers to

use unionized labor or else experience costly delays)• local neighborhood groups• Conservationists• renters

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?)2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Discussion6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

Plan:

1. Why are we talking about housing? (Why now?)2. (Background) What kinds of policy affect housing at the local level?

How are they enacted, by whom?3. (Background) State / regional influence on housing4. Who are the players in this game?5. Various thoughts– culture wars, hacking, etc.6. Discussion (30-40 minutes)

Appendix

[Will contain charts etc that could be useful in discussion. More than are there now.]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303296604577450760765114108.html

http://www.zillow.com/local-info/CA-San-Francisco-home-value/r_20330/#metric=mt%3D34%26dt%3D1%26tp%3D5%26rt%3D8%26r%3D20330%252C274552%252C268020%252C268150%26el%3D0

Fights over micro units – fears of commuting techies, fears about not enough housing for “families”.