Sacramento – In an effort to quickly increase the number of housing and shelter units in California, state lawmakers today sent two bills by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) to the Governor, encouraging more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in backyards and for rent within communities governed by homeowners associations (HOAs). A third bill sent yesterday would expedite the construction of emergency housing to address the state’s homelessness crisis.
“Californians need affordable housing options right now. We don’t have the years it usually takes for a new complex or subdivision to be built. While we wait for those larger projects to be completed, my legislation will help address our housing shortages in the interim by immediately adding more localized supply,” said Ting.
AB 69 would create a new state loan program for homeowners who don’t qualify for traditional financing avenues to build ADUs, commonly known as in-law units, granny flats or casitas. After state laws eased these property additions in recent years, they have grown in popularity as a way to house aging parents or other family members, especially during the pandemic, as well as provide rental income. Because units can be up and running within a few months, ultimately, AB 69 aims to build 50,000 homes over five years.
“AB 69 creates a unique tool in our toolkit to combat the housing crisis in California, and with the aging population of California set to double by 2030 the time is now to ensure California is ready when the ‘Silver Tsunami’ hits,“ says State Treasurer Fiona Ma, “ADUs allow homeowners in the ‘sandwich generation’ to take care of their children and their aging loved ones while allowing seniors to age in place. With COVID-19 exacerbating the housing crisis, I commend the author and the Legislature for their leadership and collaboration on this important issue.”
AB 3182 would also bolster the state’s housing supply by restricting an HOA’s ability to ban ADU rentals. For too long, HOAs have been allowed to shut out certain groups, such as people of color, that disproportionately tend to be renters. This legislation requires HOAs to allow rentals, while permitting them to cap the total number within a community to 25% in order to remain eligible for many federal loan and insurance programs.
A third housing bill by Ting empowers local jurisdictions to get people off the streets faster to address homelessness. Upon declaration of a “shelter crisis,” AB 2553 gives cities and counties the authority to temporarily suspend some roadblocks that typically slow or prevent the construction of emergency housing. This proposal builds upon the success of a pilot program created under Ting’s AB 932 in 2017, which similarly enabled Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, and the City and County of San Francisco to swiftly increase their shelter capacity.
The Governor has until September 30th to act on bills sent to him in the remaining days of the 2020 legislative session. If signed, AB 69 and AB 3182 will take effect January 1, 2021; AB 2553 will take effect immediately.
# # # #