California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order that aims to jumpstart infill housing development projects. The executive order was coupled with a $94 million award to 15 counties to also support building on infill sites. Newsom's action comes as part of California's push to build 2.5 million new homes by 2030. According to the governor's office, the executive order will primarily try and lower the costs of getting infill housing projects started. "We're cutting the unnecessary red tape and costs standing in the way of building new affordable homes for Californians," Newsom said.
Plans that could double the populations of Hillcrest and University City — and make those neighborhoods look and feel more similar to downtown — received final approval on July 30 from the San Diego City Council. The new growth blueprints approved for the two neighborhoods aim to fight climate change and solve the local housing crisis by encouraging high-rise buildings near transit. The blueprints also aim to fight segregation by adding affordable housing in wealthy areas.
Huntington Beach will get a year to create new citywide housing plans, a judge ordered this month after finding city leaders had violated state law with their refusal to plan for the development of 13,368 housing units this decade. San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal, who's overseen the case, gave the city a year to pass an updated housing element, which lays out where new development can occur. The state wanted to give the city only 120 days, but Bacal denied that request.
Last week, the Berkeley City Council postponed any final decisions on a historic proposal that would have allowed construction of duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and other "gentle density" projects in all residential neighborhoods — a move Berkeley claims is one of the largest, most ambitious upzoning reforms underway in California, if not nationwide. The city's planning staff said this was largely a procedural delay, after they failed to consult local tribal leaders about the proposed changes, but scores of residents demanded additional time to get up to speed on this complex pitch.
The Newport Beach City Council last week approved amendments to the general plan and other steps necessary to implement its housing element rather than take those issues to the voters in the November 5 election. The raft of ordinances and resolutions approved by the City Council clear some of the final hurdles before the city's efforts to plan for more housing, primarily near John Wayne Airport, Dover/Westcliff, West Newport Mesa, Newport Center, Banning Ranch, and Coyote Canyon.
The State of California on Tuesday introduced a new plan to bring more teachers to the state: housing built on land owned by school districts. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will propose a plan to build affordable housing for teachers and staff like custodians and food service workers on land already owned by school districts. California school districts own about 75,000 acres of developable land that could be used for 2.3 million housing units.
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