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Newsom approves law to boost affordable housing production.


Jerome Bestul, age 62 from Wisconsin, expresses ‍his pleasure at having a safe place to‍ sleep and live at the Tarzana Tiny Home Village ⁣which​ offers temporary⁣ housing⁢ for⁢ people experiencing​ homelessness, on July 9, 2021 in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles,⁣ California. – The habitats are very small prefabricated houses, installed in a parking lot⁣ in Los Angeles. The “tiny homes” ‌are multiplying ‍in the city in an attempt to offer homeless people ⁤a transition from ​the⁣ street ​to permanent housing. The question‍ arises particularly⁣ in the California metropolis, which ‌hosts Hollywood, its stars and its‌ glitter but also​ the⁢ camps ⁤of tens of thousands of homeless people, whose tents​ are visible‍ throughout the city. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via‌ Getty Images)

OAN’s Stephanie Stahl
1:02 PM – Thursday, October 12, 2023

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a groundbreaking law that allows‍ churches and nonprofit colleges to transform their parking ⁣lots into‌ affordable housing spaces.

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The law, signed by Newsom (D-Calif.) on Wednesday,‌ aims to rezone unused land⁣ owned by nonprofit colleges​ and religious‍ institutions, such as churches, mosques, and synagogues.

Starting in 2024,‍ these organizations will have the power to bypass the costly and ‍time-consuming local ⁤permitting and environmental review processes.

A recent study by the ‌University of California, Berkeley, revealed⁣ that religious and higher⁣ education campuses in ‍California possess over 170,000 ​acres of‌ land that meet⁤ the criteria outlined‍ in the legislation.

However,⁢ some California cities ⁢have expressed concerns about the law, ⁢fearing that it could undermine their authority‌ over housing ⁢development ‌decisions.

This groundbreaking ‍law is set to remain in effect until 2036.

California, known ⁣as the​ Golden State,​ currently⁣ has the highest homeless population ‌in the U.S., with over 161,000 people experiencing homelessness. This crisis is attributed to issues with affordable housing, drug laws, and a ​lack of mental health resources.

In addition to ⁣this new‌ law, ⁢Governor Newsom recently approved⁣ another housing ​bill that simplifies regulations for housing projects, resulting in the construction of ⁣thousands of ​homes to address California’s housing crisis.

The original law, which went into effect in 2018 ‍and was scheduled to expire in 2026, allows housing developers to bypass most local permitting processes for multifamily ‌housing⁢ projects in cities ‍that ‌fail to meet state-mandated housing goals.

According to Senator Scott Wiener (D-Pa.), the author of the ⁣bill, this law has already‌ facilitated the development of over 19,000 homes, with approximately 60%⁤ of them‍ designated as affordable housing.

The new ​law also ⁢eliminates⁤ the‌ requirement to hire “skilled ⁢and trained workers” for ‌certain projects, a demand typically⁤ made ​by ⁤influential construction trade ⁢unions. Instead, ⁤it mandates workers to receive the prevailing wage.

Despite ⁣facing opposition ‍from labor groups, Wiener introduced amendments ⁢to strengthen labor regulations​ for larger projects.

The bill initially faced resistance from the state Coastal Commission‌ and environmental organizations due to concerns⁤ about streamlined housing development in coastal areas.

However, after⁤ collaborating with‍ the commission, Wiener‌ clarified ‌that the legislation would not apply‌ to‍ environmentally‍ sensitive or‌ wildfire-prone areas, leading to the withdrawal ‍of opposition.

Nevertheless,⁤ several Southern California cities continue ⁤to object to the bill, arguing​ that it ‍erodes ⁤local ‌control.

On ⁤the ⁤same day as signing ‍these‍ two bills, Governor Newsom announced ⁤plans to construct 1,200 tiny homes in four California cities as part of ongoing efforts to address homelessness.

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What concerns have been raised by some California cities regarding⁣ this law’s potential impact‍ on housing development decisions?

Governor Gavin Newsom of California has ⁤signed a groundbreaking law that allows churches⁢ and nonprofit colleges to convert their parking lots into affordable housing spaces. This⁣ law, signed on Wednesday, aims to rezone unused land owned by nonprofit colleges and religious institutions, such as churches, mosques, and synagogues.

Starting in 2024, these organizations will ⁤have the power to bypass the costly and time-consuming local permitting and ‌environmental review‌ processes. A recent ‌study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, revealed that religious and higher education campuses⁤ in California possess over 170,000 acres of land that ‌meet the criteria outlined in the⁣ legislation.

However, some California cities have expressed ⁢concerns about the law, fearing that it could undermine their authority ⁣over housing development decisions. Despite ⁤these concerns, the law is set‌ to remain in effect until 2036.

California‌ is currently known as the ‌Golden State but also faces‌ the challenge of having⁢ the ‌highest⁢ homeless population in the U.S., with over 161,000 people experiencing⁤ homelessness. This crisis is attributed to ​issues with affordable housing, drug laws, and a lack of mental health ​resources.

In addition to this ‌new law, Governor Newsom recently approved another housing ⁢bill that simplifies regulations for housing projects, resulting in the construction of⁣ thousands of homes to address California’s housing crisis. The original law, which went⁣ into effect in 2018 and was scheduled to expire⁤ in 2026, allows⁣ housing developers to bypass most local permitting processes‍ for multifamily housing projects in⁣ cities that fail to meet state-mandated⁢ housing goals.

According to Senator Scott Wiener, the author ⁤of the bill, this law has already facilitated the development of over​ 19,000 homes, with approximately 60% of them designated as affordable housing. The⁢ new law ‍also eliminates the requirement to hire “skilled ⁣and trained workers” for certain projects,⁢ instead mandating workers to receive the⁤ prevailing wage.

Despite facing opposition⁢ from labor groups, Wiener introduced amendments to strengthen‍ labor regulations for larger projects. The bill ​initially faced resistance from​ the⁢ state Coastal Commission and environmental organizations ⁤due to concerns about streamlined housing development in coastal areas. However, after collaborating with the commission, Wiener clarified ​that the⁢ legislation would not apply to environmentally sensitive or wildfire-prone areas, leading ​to the withdrawal of ‍opposition.

Nevertheless, several Southern California cities continue ‌to object to the bill, arguing that it erodes ⁢local control. It remains to be seen how this new legislation will impact California’s housing crisis and the homeless population.


Read More From Original Article Here: Newsom Signs Law To Ramp Up Affordable Housing Production

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