Focus

Biden administration unveils renter protections

CNN – January 25

In response to rent payments soaring across the country in recent years, the Biden administration unveiled new actions last Wednesday to protect tenants, make renting more affordable, and improve fairness in the rental housing market. Multiple agencies are expected to take part in improving conditions for renters, taking actions in tandem with a set of principles outlined by the administration focused on renters’ rights. The agencies involved include the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Justice. More than a third of the American population — 44 million households — rent their homes.

News

S.F. supervisor wants to let nonprofits sue the city if it doesn’t meet affordable housing goal

San Francisco Chronicle – January 24

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston wants to let nonprofits sue the city if it fails to meet an ambitious affordable housing production goal. The state is requiring the city to plan for 82,000 new homes under a housing roadmap approved unanimously last Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors, with more than half of the overall goal — about 46,000 units — meant to be affordable to low- and moderate-income residents. Supervisor Preston said Tuesday that he was introducing legislation to let nonprofits that advocate for low-income housing sue the city if the affordable goal is not met.

L.A. City Council explores defining electric vehicle charging in city code

KFI – January 25

The Los Angeles City Council voted last Wednesday to study an ordinance defining electric vehicle charging in the city's zoning code, given that it is currently undefined as a land use. The council sought reports from the Department of City Planning on recommendations for an ordinance, along with best practices that would preserve planning and urban design. After cost of the vehicle, access to charging is the biggest barrier to EV adoption, according to a motion filed by Council President Paul Krekorian. Last week, the council directed a draft ordinance on streamlining the permitting of EV charging infrastructure.

Activists sue Marin cities over housing plans

Marin Independent Journal – January 27

Two Marin cities are facing lawsuits over their handling of housing plan updates. In two separate suits filed in Marin Superior Court last Wednesday, the Californians for Homeownership, a nonprofit corporation accused Novato and Belvedere of violating state law by failing to give the state time to review their adopted plans to accommodate more homes since the two cities adopted their housing plans on Tuesday prior to the state Department of Housing and Community Development completing its mandated 90-day review period. The nonprofit requested the court invalidate the housing plans until the state completes its review of them, which, if granted, could mean the cities would lose the ability to apply local zoning and housing standards to certain housing applications for at least three months.

Santa Monica Airport could become a park after closure

Patch – January 25

The Santa Monica City Council unanimously voted last Tuesday to begin the planning process to put a park in place of the Santa Monica Airport after its scheduled closure in 2028. Early discussions have begun taking place about the future of the 227-acre parcel that could result in a public space akin to Central Park in New York City or Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The process is only just starting though, Santa Monica Public Works Chief Operations Officer Peter James said implementation can and will span decades.

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