Once again, the California Legislature is considering a host of housing bills, ostensibly for the purpose of increasing affordable housing but without providing any subsidies to actually enable the development of affordable housing. Although some bills may be worthwhile, many are simply destructive of existing communities, the environment and our quality of life, while providing gifts to developers. For latest updates on the pending bills, go the Livable California website, https://www.livablecalifornia.org/california-state-legislation-bills-2021-livable-california/
The two worst bills for single-family neighborhoods are SB 9 (Senator Atkins) and SB 10 (Senator Wiener), which effectively outlaw the existence of single-family neighborhoods throughout the state of California.
We can all agree that the state needs more affordable housing, and there are viable alternatives which do not require destruction of single-family neighborhoods. For a very short video illustration of the impact these bills will have on neighborhoods such as ours, go to https://youtu.be/YpBmRgTFAbo. You can also see more details on the impact of these bills in this excellent presentation by our friends at United Neighbors. As an example, these sketches illustrate what a single-family neighborhood such as ours can become under SB 9 and SB 10 — at the whim of developers, with NO control by local governments, NO requirement for affordable units, NO requirement to upgrade water, power, sewer and other infrastructure, provide off-street parking, etc.:
As of June 7, 2021, these two bills have both been approved by the Senate, and are now being rushed through the Assembly. SB 9 is the first item on the agenda of the Local Government Committee for its meeting on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 1:30 pm. More details, including instructions for how to call in and testify at the hearing, are at https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/hearings. Unfortunately, one of the committee’s members, Robert Rivas, is also listed as a co-author of both SB 9 and SB 10.
Please email and call each committee member ASAP. You can write your own email from scratch or download the suggested language HERE and then copy/paste it into your email. Below are all the email addresses you need:
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D), Chair of Local Govt Committee, 916-319-2004, assemblymember.aguiar-curry@assembly.ca.gov; Local Govt Comm deputy: john.ferrera@asm.ca.gov
Tom Lackey (R), Vice Chair of Local Govt Committee, 916-319-2036, assemblymember.lackey@assembly.ca.gov; Local Govt Comm deputy: andrew.mendoza@asm.ca.gov
Richard Bloom (D), 916-319-2050 – his email address has been discontinued. You can contact him via the form at https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD50 if you use a 90049 zip code; Local Govt Comm deputy: lenh.voong@asm.ca.gov
Tasha Boerner Horvath (D), 916-319-2076, assemblymember.boernerhorvath@assembly.ca.gov; no deputy given
James Ramos (D), 916-319-2040, assemblymember.ramos@assembly.ca.gov; Local Govt Comm deputy: gavin.white@asm.ca.gov
Luz Rivas (D), 916-319-2039, assemblymember.rivas@assembly.ca.gov; deputies: matthew.montgomery@asm.ca.gov, judy.yee@asm.ca.gov
Robert Rivas (D ), co-author of SB 9 & SB 10 – 916-319-2030, assemblymember.rrivas@assembly.ca.gov; Local Govt Comm deputy: alejandra.garcia@asm.ca.gov
Randy Voepel (R), 916-319-2071, assemblymember.voepel@assembly.ca.gov; Local Govt Comm deputy (interim): lily.movsisyan@asm.ca.gov
With copies to:
Hank Brady, Local Govt Comm Staff, 916-319-3958, hank.brady@asm.ca.gov
and
Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, Speaker of the Assembly, assemblymember.rendon@assembly.ca.gov
More info on each bill, including the text of the bill, can be found at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB9 (for SB 9) and at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB10 (for SB 10).