By TRÂN NGUYỄN | Associated Press
California Passes New Law Allowing Religious Institutions and Nonprofit Colleges to Convert Properties into Low-Income Housing
In an effort to combat the ongoing homeless crisis, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that permits religious institutions and nonprofit colleges in California to use their parking lots and other properties for low-income housing. The law, which will come into effect in 2024, rezones land owned by these institutions to allow for the construction of affordable housing. This move will bypass local permitting and environmental review regulations, providing a more efficient and cost-effective process. The law will remain in effect until 2036.
California currently has the highest number of homeless people in the United States, and this crisis has prompted an initiative called “yes in God’s backyard” (YIGBY), which encourages religious institutions to participate in housing initiatives. Numerous projects are already in progress across the state, but many face challenges when trying to convert surplus land and underutilized parking lots into residential areas due to zoning restrictions.
Advocates of the new law believe that it will be a valuable tool in addressing the state’s housing shortage. A study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley estimated that religious and higher education campuses in California have more than 170,000 acres of land that would be eligible for housing development under the law.
Despite the positive outlook, several cities have expressed opposition to the law, arguing that it takes away local control over housing developments.
In addition to this law, Gov. Newsom also signed another crucial housing bill, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, which extends the lifespan of a significant law that streamlines regulations for housing projects. This law has already facilitated the construction of thousands of homes aimed at alleviating the housing crisis in the state.
Sen. Wiener stated, “California desperately needs to ramp up housing production, and the Governor’s actions today help put us on the path to achieve that goal. The era of saying no to housing is coming to an end. We’ve been planting seeds for years to get California to a brighter housing future, and today we’re continuing strongly down that path.”
The original law, which went into effect in 2018 and is set to expire in 2026, allows housing developers to bypass most local permitting processes for multifamily housing projects in cities that are falling behind the state-mandated housing goals. The law has expedited the construction of over 19,000 homes, with approximately 60% of them being affordable housing. The new law aims to extend these regulations by an additional 10 years.
Furthermore, the new law removes the requirement to hire “skilled and trained workers” for certain projects, a provision typically sought by construction trades unions. Instead, it mandates that workers be paid the prevailing wage, which is the average wage paid to workers, laborers, and mechanics in a specific area. To address concerns from labor groups, Sen. Wiener included amendments to reinforce labor regulations for larger projects.
The bill faced opposition from the state Coastal Commission and environmental groups when it was proposed in July, as it would have eliminated the exemption for streamlined housing development in coastal zones. Critics worried that this would result in housing being built in areas susceptible to sea-level rise or wildfires, and that it would primarily benefit luxury apartments rather than affordable housing along the coastline.
Sen. Wiener worked closely with the commission to make clarifications in the legislation, ensuring that it does not apply to environmentally sensitive or wildfire-prone areas. The commission ultimately withdrew its opposition, but some cities in Southern California still resisted the bill, believing that it infringes on local control.
On the same day as these bill signings, the governor’s administration and Sacramento leaders announced the locations for the first group of 1,200 tiny homes that he has promised to build in four cities to address homelessness.
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