California State Senator Scott Wiener has established himself as one of the most ardent supporters of pro-housing policy in the state. His announcement this morning continued the theme.

[Updated January 4, 2018] California State Senator Scott Wiener took to Twitter and a blog post on Medium this morning to announce a new package of bills that puts forward a "housing-first" policy. According to Senator Wiener, his three proposed bills would:
- Mandate denser and taller zoning near transit.
- Create a more data-driven and less political Regional Housing Needs Assessment process (RHNA provides local communities with numerical housing goals) and require communities to address past RHNA shortfalls.
- Make it easier to build farmworker housing while maintaining strong worker protections.
The density and building height mandates referenced in the first point are included in SB 827. Senator Wiener's post criticizes the ubiquity of transit stations surrounded by single-family zoning, and states his cause: " Transit-rich areas are *exactly* where we should be putting dense housing. We must build more housing near transit so that we can reduce reliance on cars and so that more people can access the benefits of transit."
As for how the bill would achieve those goals, Senator Wiener writes:
Under SB 827, parcels within a half-mile of high-connectivity transit hub — like BART, Muni, Caltrain, and LA Metro stations — will be required to have no density maximums (such as single family home mandates), no parking minimums, and a minimum height limit of between 45 and 85 feet, depending on various factors, such as whether the parcel is on a larger corridor and whether it is immediately adjacent to the station. A local ordinance can increase that height but not go below it.
The reform of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment process is dealt with by SB 828, which calls for a "clearer, fairer, more data-driven, and more equitable process." According to Senator Wiener, "SB 828 also requires communities to begin making up for past RHNA deficits." It's not the first time Senator Wiener's has authored legislation that attempted to curtail RHNA abuses—last year's SB 35 required by-right approvals of affordable housing cities not meeting their RHNA goals. Marin County, a wealthy enclave in the North Bay Area made national news for legislating their way out of housing quotas last year. In July 2017, Liam Dillon of the Los Angeles Times provided an in-depth overview of everything that's wrong with California's RHNA process.
As the final piece of Senator Wiener's proposed housing policy package, SB 829 approaches issues of rural housing, creating "a by-right process where farm owners and operators can dedicate agricultural land for employee housing."
Astute observers of California housing policy legislation will recall that previous efforts to remove parking requirements from transit-adjacent neighborhoods met their demise due to opposition from the League of California Cities and other advocates for local control. This new package of bills, and SB 827 specifically, goes far beyond previous efforts. The local control versus state control debate that will play out around this package will be a political hot button to watch in 2018.
FULL STORY: California Needs a Housing-First Agenda: My 2018 Housing Package

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.

Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.

Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland