Lseter Holt : NBC – excerpt (includes video)
California’s Bay Area, home to major tech companies, is among the most expensive housing markets in the country. There is a divide over how to address the affordable housing crisis, and whether denser housing options, which are restricted by zoning laws, could help…(more)
By Gillian Tan : bloomberg – excerpt
Funds managed by Invesco Real Estate are backing Mynd Management to spend as much as $5 billion, including debt, purchasing about 20,000 single-family rental homes in the U.S. in the next three years.
The partnership marks a “significant moment” for the single-family rental industry, Doug Brien, chief executive officer and co-founder of Mynd, said in an interview. More than half of the country’s multifamily properties are owned by institutional investors compared with an estimated ownership of 2% to 3% of single-family rentals, a gap that he expects to narrow in time.
“As traditional commercial real estate investors that invested in multifamily as their key strategy have moved into single-family rental, we’re seeing the market flooded with institutional capital,” Brien said. He acknowledged that dynamic will make it more competitive for Mynd to find properties, but touted its data-driven technology as better enabling it to make offers across the U.S…(more)
Could the rush to invest in single family homes be driven by the billions of dollars being pushed into political machines intent on up-zoning and gentrifying those neighborhoods? Easy to drive up the prices so that individual homeowners cannot afford to buy, when governments allow by-right laws to remove all obstacles from the density plans. Will the American public figure this out in time to stop it?
By Zelda Bronstein : 48hills – excerpt
Speaking at a SPUR forum in February, former California Department of Housing and Community Development Director Ben Metcalf compared his old agency to the CIA.
The analogy came to mind on the morning of May 25, as I attended HCD’s online “listening session” for people in the Bay Area to provide “input” into an updated Statewide Housing Plan.
It’s all about manipulating the process.
“North” and “Valley” sessions had already taken place; future sessions were scheduled for the “Central Coast” (in the afternoon of May 25); for the “South” and “Tribal” (both on May 27); and for a tentative, non-regional “Make Up Session” (June 6). Each one lasts 2.5 hours and has the same agenda: a half-hour introduction and presentation from HCD staff, followed by 15 minutes of “Housekeeping and Questions;” a ten-minute break; and breakout sessions lasting 75 to 90 minutes, each with ten or fewer people…(more)
By Linda Koelling : smdailyjournal – excerpt
Editor,
If you think that Senate bills 9 and 10 are the answer to the affordable housing needs, I invite you to consider the facts. Housing affordability and homelessness are said to be among the most critical issues facing California cities. The Legislature continues to introduce housing bills that remove local zoning control from cities and evade citizen input.
The results of these bills will create significant, environmental impacts. Where will the funds come from for municipalities’ ability to provide and maintain the additional infrastructure, and public services required for water, schools, sewer treatment, roads, police, fire? Can we expect an increase in taxes to meet the requirements for the additional infrastructure needs? If so, then what is the use of having affordable housing when the cost of living in the area will be too high for anyone to handle. It makes no sense!…
SB 9 AND SB 10 FACTS:
SB 9: Ends single-family zoning;
SB 9: Allows 4-6 units of housing on single-family lots;
SB 9: Allows the splitting of every single-family lot in California;
SB 10: Allows up to 10 units per parcel in any residential area (job-rich, transit-rich) ;
SB 10: Allows local councils to remove any land use initiative without the vote of the people;
SB 9 SB 10: Cause mass removal of our trees;
SB 9 SB 10: Eliminate yards and permeable soil protection;
SB 9 SB 10: No affordable units required;
SB 9 SB 10: No infrastructure upgrades required; and
SB 9 SB 10: No CEQA environmental review required.
Who are our leaders really representing? No on SB 9 and SB 10
Linda Koelling, Foster City
The letter writer is the former mayor of Foster City…(more)
SB9 is the brainchild of Senator Atkins and Senator Winer gets credit for comping up with SB10. Together they will spell the death knell of the single family homes and neighborhoods in our state and make the security of home ownership more difficult for anyone who is not lucky enough to own a home yet. SB10 will remove citizen’s ability to enforce ballot initiatives that their local authorities don’t approve of. And this doesn’t event take into account what the Assembly is cooking up for us.
Search for lobby activity by bill, company, or both:
https://calobbysearch.org/
See reports on lobbying for SB9 and SB10:
sb9-lobby_activity
sb10-lobby_activity
By David Benda, Redding Searchlight – redding. – excerpt
Corrections & Clarification: The Bonnyview Bechelli Coalition is the group challenging the city’s approval of the Costco project. This story has been updated to reflect that.
Costco Warehouse’s controversial plan to relocate its store in Redding is facing another obstacle.
Opponents have notified the city they are moving forward with a lawsuit to challenge the project’s approval under the California Environmental Quality Act. The notice of commencement of action was filed Tuesday in Shasta County Superior Court…
Mark Wolfe, a San Francisco land-use attorney, is representing the Bonnyview Bechelli Coalition in the lawsuit. Wolfe didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment…
Wolfe also represents the Pleasanton Citizens for Responsible Growth. That group for the second time sued the city of Pleasanton in March, a month after the city council unanimously approved a new Costco near Interstate 680, according to news reports…
RELATED LINKS:
https://www.protectceqa.org/
http://www.mrwolfeassociates.com/firm.html
https://www.facebook.com/protectceqa/
https://www.facebook.com/nocostcoonbechelli/posts/the-bonnyview-bechelli-coalition-needs-your-help-the-proposed-river-crossing-mar/827128224292821/
Amherst Drive between SMO and WLA By Chris LeGras –
The future meets the past on this street in Santa Monica. Note the lack of cars parked on the street and the lack of traffic in the old neighborhood., safe wide streets and sidewalks. The Building opportunity bills are meant to hasten the pace of change by removing the residents’ rights.
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