City hits pause button on residential densification efforts
Pushing back against local housing advocates, SJ City Council passed an urgency ordinance to limit the impact of SB9--the state law which strips cities of their authority over local zoning. Additionally, the city shelved a local densification proposal known as Opportunity Housing. Tobin Gilman of Families and Homes--the leading grass roots organization fighting citywide up zoning--explains the developments.
Opp Now: So, after these votes, what's the status of the densification debate in SJ?
Tobin Gilman: It's on hold. Some of the procedural moves are pretty arcane, so it can be confusing, but here are the main points:
The City has discontinued work on its local Opportunity Housing effort.
The City approved an urgency ordinance that limits how much densification we will allow under SB9.
The City agreed to study and explore future densification ideas but didn't commit to any of them.
In many ways, the city kicked the can down the road, but put a limit on how far they'll let SB9 go--for the time being. And it's important to note that these votes were based on Planning Commission unanimous recommendations.
ON: For a long time, we heard from housing advocates that SB9 and Opportunity Housing were necessary to build affordable housing--right now. Now we are hearing that they won't help the affordability crisis. What's with that?
TG: There were never any provisions in SB9 nor Opportunity Housing to help develop affordable housing, never. So that messaging was always misleading. What advocates are now doing is trying to take the SB9 up zoning baseline and trying to add new provisions and incentives that would maximize densification in traditional single-family neighborhoods, incent the conversion of owner-occupied detached homes to multi-unit rental properties, and expand SB into historic districts.
ON: So, it sounds like we have a bait and switch: Pass up zoning. Then start to pile on anti-market, state-mandated development.
TG: That's a possibility. Remember that there's been a series of false claims floating around this debate from the state, which makes one skeptical about where it's going. The biggest false claim made was the assertion that 94% of SJ is zoned for single family homes. A drive around the city tells you that's not true. It's closer to half, maybe around 60%.
Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity.