The Return of Social Housing: Breaking Down The Newest CA Bill
02/25/23 • 56 min
In January 2023 California Assembly Member Alex Lee introduced Assembly Bill 309, a Social Housing Bill that aims to increase access to housing for all Californians. But how does social housing help solve the housing shortage?
Our Executive Director, Laura Foote, recently spoke with Assembly Member Lee and Darrell Owens, Policy Analyst for California YIMBY about the California Social Housing Bill. They talked through the big picture for Lee’s Social Housing Bill, discussed the history of social housing in the U.S. and abroad, and answered some common questions about how social housing works in practice.
Learn more about AB 309: https://www.californiasocialhousing.org/
Follow Assembly Member Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_lee
Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/
Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/
In January 2023 California Assembly Member Alex Lee introduced Assembly Bill 309, a Social Housing Bill that aims to increase access to housing for all Californians. But how does social housing help solve the housing shortage?
Our Executive Director, Laura Foote, recently spoke with Assembly Member Lee and Darrell Owens, Policy Analyst for California YIMBY about the California Social Housing Bill. They talked through the big picture for Lee’s Social Housing Bill, discussed the history of social housing in the U.S. and abroad, and answered some common questions about how social housing works in practice.
Learn more about AB 309: https://www.californiasocialhousing.org/
Follow Assembly Member Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_lee
Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/
Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/
Previous Episode
How Homelessness and Housing Are Shaping Politics: California Spotlight
Last month, we voted for dozens of pro-housing candidates across the country. The YIMBY voting bloc continues to grow, and we’re seeing that growth in dozens of pro-housing wins this year. NIMBY voices are losing their influence.
YIMBY Action Board Member Anthony Dedousis recently spoke with Councilmember-elect Jesse Zwick of Santa Monica, and Councilmember-elect Chelsea Byers of West Hollywood. They both got involved in local government to help tackle homelessness. Now, they’re sharing insights on how running pro-housing campaigns helped them win their races and how they plan to push pro-housing policies in their City Council roles.
About Chelsea Byers:
Chelsea is a social impact strategist and community organizer. She currently serves as a Human Services Commissioner in the City of West Hollywood. She is also an appointee to the 6th Cycle Housing Element Task Force in West Hollywood.
About Jesse Zwick:
Jesse is a public policy and communications advisor, a renter advocate. Before getting involved in local politics, Jesse was a journalist for DC’s The New Republic Magazine and was a director and screenwriter. He worked on projects such as Nashville, Parenthood, and About Alex.
Links:
Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/
Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/
Next Episode
Zoning is on a Holiday in California
For 40 years, California has analyzed upcoming housing needs based on populations across its cities and required all local governments to submit plans to illustrate how they will contribute more housing in their areas to help the State meet its housing goals. This is called the California housing elements process. Despite the fact that submitting a compliant housing element is part of state law, NIMBY cities have continued to lie about where they plan to build housing in their plans— or have decided to not attempt to submit a plan at all. Now, YIMBYs have stepped in.
With the growing set of eyes on each city to help alleviate the housing shortage, YIMBY Action and YIMBY Law are inviting all property owners to take matters into their own hands using a tool called the Builder's Remedy. The Builder's Remedy is a California state law that forces cities with non-compliant housing elements to automatically approve any housing project as long as at least 20% of the homes are low-income or 100% of them are moderate-income.
Get a deep dive from our Executive Directors, Laura Foote and Sonja Trauss, and Emeryville Vice Mayor Courtney Welch about how California cities have been handling their housing elements processes, the consequences for noncompliant cities, and how property owners can take advantage of this open season on state zoning policies.
Learn more about the Builder's Remedy: https://www.yimbylaw.org/buildersremedy
Follow Vice Mayor Courtney Welch: https://twitter.com/cw4emeryville
Follow YIMBY Law on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Yimby_Law
Follow YIMBY Law on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YIMBYLaw
Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/
Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/
Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/
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