We’re celebrating the 4th by staying home! Grab your coffee and join us for our Zoom Special Training Hour on how to use the “State Portal” to get letters against the 9 Bad Bills onto the desks of VIP legislators and staff. (See the 9 Bad Bills List at bottom.)
In June, the Assembly approved EVERY Bad Bill written by its house, and sent them to the Senate. The Senate approved EVERY Bad Bill it wrote, sending them to the Assembly. Amidst the pandemic, we saw the most non-transparent, rushed, terrible decisions in years.
Legislators return July 13. Both houses will review the Bad Bills from the other house. Citing the pandemic, the Senate and Assembly will again gut normal debate and transparency, sending each bill to just 1 “policy committee” for review — instead of 2 or 3 committees.
The Legislature’s failure to debate the upheaval, gentrification and destruction facing communities if the 9 Bad Bills become law is why it’s crucial that you use The Portal in July.
We are fighting hard and so appreciate your donations. Please donate now, here. Thank you!
The Portal you will master on Saturday is a gem once you get past its bewildering instructions (approved by legislators). The Portal zips your letter to a key “analyst” reviewing Bad Bills for a committee. Your key points can appear in a binder sent to the committee for consideration!
The Portal will be made easy, nay SATISFYING, on July 4 at 10 a.m. Grab a coffee and call in!
Are you in a group? Submitting as a group has max impact. You need 1) a mailing address and 2) a group name. Even if it’s just “[So & So Street] Residents.” A logo is nice, but not required.
Are you an individual? Key points in your Portal letter will STILL be read by the analyst and may indeed get sent to the committee!
Learn the steps on July 4, send letters before July 13. You can also PLUG good bills, like SB 1299 by Anthony Portantino, to help communities instead of demonizing and upending them.
Please donate, here today! And please go to our ACT NOW page to learn when a Bad Bill will be heard in committee, and how to reach your legislator to oppose bills. See the 9 Bad Bills below.
During this meeting we will be screen sharing, so join by computer if at all possible to get the most from this meeting
Here's your call-in info for Saturday:
Via Computer: https://zoom.us/j/6377599629
Dial in: +1 720 707 2699
Meeting ID: 637 759 9629
One tap mobile: +17207072699,,6377599629#
The 9 Bad Bills:
SB 1120 (by Scott Wiener and Toni Atkins)
Crushes single-family zoning in California, a threat to 8 million homeowners at all income levels. Wiener has called yards and single-family homes “immoral.” SB 1120 allows 4 market-rate homes where 1 home now stands (theoretically it allows 8 units, if cities have granny flat laws). Requires NO affordable units! Opens California to a widespread speculation.
SB 902 (by Scott Wiener):
Allows any city council to overturn voter-approved ballot measures that protect open space, shorelines and other lands — killing a 108-year-old voter right. AND allows any city council to rezone “any parcel” to 10-unit luxury apartments, overriding all zoning including single-family, and inviting gentrification into older, diverse, multi-family areas. Requires NO affordable units. Opens California to broad speculation.
SB 995 (by Wiener and Atkins):
Slashes the number of affordable units developers must build to qualify for “fast-track” projects that ignore environmental protection law, or CEQA. Today, a “fast-track” building can ignore CEQA only if a developer offers 49% of its units as affordable. SB 995 cuts the 49% to just 15%, allowing huge buildings but SLASHING the legislature’s commitment to affordable housing. This is wrong.
SB 1085 (by Nancy Skinner):
Today, developers are rewarded a 35% increase in apartment building size — a Density Bonus — if 40% of units in the building are affordable to moderate-income households. SB 1085 slashes to just 20% the required moderate-income units, allowing huge buildings that CUT IN HALF the legislature’s commitment to affordable housing. This is wrong.
AB 725: (by Buffy Wicks and Scott Wiener)
A severe threat to 300+ cities who have not attracted enough housing to hit state growth targets known as “RHNA.” AB 725 brings density and upheaval to single-family, duplex and multi-family areas whose residents have never even heard of “RHNA.” RHNA was once a helpful population-forecasting tool. Now it’s used (especially by Wiener) as a state weapon to force density and upheaval on communities.
AB 1279 (by Richard Bloom):
AFTER this radical bill became law, an obscure committee would THEN identify neighborhood “Opportunity Zones” where 50-unit to 120-unit projects could be built, overriding local zoning if affordable units are included. But if developers don’t want to provide affordable units, they can pay an “in lieu” fee, and then build a profitable 10-unit luxury building! All without a single hearing. This is wrong.
AB 2345 (by Lorena Gonzalez and David Chiu)
Lets developers add 50% in “Density Bonus” size to a project if they agree to provide more affordable housing units than now required. But as a reward, developers can ignore well-planned city controls on height, open space (courtyards), parking, design review, setbacks, side yards, trees and other standards. Developers would become the planners.
AB 3040 (by David Chiu):
It’s a “Sophie’s Choice”: Cities can choose to comply with AB 3040 by sacrificing single-family homes older than 15 years — think South L.A., East L.A., and diverse older suburbs — to satisfy state growth dictates known as “RHNA.” OR cities can try to meet the growth dictates by relying on the Density Bonus program. Stay with us, folks: Unfortunately, the Density Bonus program is a FAIL, preventing cities from approving even close to the number of affordable units required by “RHNA.” When cities fail, a punitive law by Scott Wiener, SB 35, will let developers ignore local rules to build as they wish.
AB 3107 (by Richard Bloom and Phil Ting):
Wreaks height havoc by allowing tall apartments where neighborhood cafés or shops are now, even if adjacent to homes. The towers would contain 20% affordable units. Each city faces a different fate because AB 3107 randomly increases height based on the tallest commercial or residential height allowed ½ mile away. In L.A. it means 9-story towers on retail land citywide. In Inglewood, it means 75-foot towers near neighborhoods. In Manhattan Beach, it wipes out a citywide 30-foot residential limit.
Livable California is a non-profit statewide group of community leaders, activists and local elected officials. We believe in local answers to the housing affordability crisis. Our robust fight requires trips to Sacramento & a lobbyist going toe-to-toe with power. Please donate generously to LivableCalifornia.org here.
Livable California
2940 16th Street
Suite 200-1
San Francisco, CA 94103
United States
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.