Zoning for New Housing in California Becomes More Developer-Friendly
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 10, 2018 / According to Neil Shekhter, developers of new housing are expecting less hurdles to jump over as well as less local governmental interference, thanks to the new housing zoning bill recently signed into law by California's governor. Two new bills recently approved by Governor Jerry Brown makes dense housing more possible throughout the state since these new pieces of legislation require local zoning officials to zone for housing to meet local need in the present as well as in the future.
Senate Bill 828, signed into law this week by Governor Brown, requires local governments to structure zoning to accommodate 100 percent of the projected local housing need. State Senator Scott Weiner, who authored the bill, originally asked for 200 percent but that figure was reduced to 100 percent after considerable debate by members of the legislation.
Assembly Bill 1771 is the second newly approved zoning bill which could prove extremely beneficial for developers, requiring increased data for determining just what the local housing needs are. This new formula helps prevent local governments from fudging the numbers simply to reduce the amount of residential zoning now required in their areas.
Previously, zoning law merely required local governments to zone for future need, but SB 828 now requires zoning that reflects existing need as well. A California city that projected 1,000 new citizens in their future could previously limit new housing to 1,000 units, even if in reality, that city was already short 2,000 units. Today, that city's local government is mandated to also zone for the existing 2,000 units needed. This new zoning law could result in as much as a 150 percent increase in local units.
California has for decades endured a serious housing crisis, and passage of this bill enables developers to accommodate the long-standing housing shortage without being unduly hampered by local governments. The current housing shortage not only creates skyrocketing rents and home prices, it has also stimulated other potential new legislation such as Proposition 10 which gives local governments more power regarding rent regulation.
Developers throughout the state facing few development opportunities could now see more dense residential zoning in numerous cities, without facing interference from local governments who have long opposed densification.
Although real estate industry trade groups and respected developers support SB 828, a number of neighborhood groups and cities in southern California, have expressed their opposition to current housing zoning limitations, fearing more power in the hands of the state government and less control over how neighborhoods develop in the hands of local government.
NMS has offered quality rentals in the Los Angeles area for nearly three decades. Since 1988, NMS has developed and managed a large portfolio of premier apartment buildings and commercial properties in Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Brentwood and the San Fernando Valley
By: Jessica Zalban
NMS Properties, Inc.
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SOURCE: NMS Properties, Inc.