Can duplexes solve California’s housing crisis? A Democrat’s plan aims for ‘lighter’ reforms
California cities would be encouraged to develop more duplexes and fourplexes under a new bill announced Monday by a housing advocate who has been prodding local governments to build more homes.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, developed the proposal after the Legislature in January rejected a bill he carried that would have forced cities to plan for denser housing around transit- and jobs-rich areas.
Wiener characterized his latest plan as a “much lighter touch” that would instead allow local governments to pass ordinances that streamline construction of smaller, multi-unit projects in areas traditionally reserved for single-family or low-density housing.
Wiener said Senate Bill 902 would support state-mandated regional housing goals and would, over time, help alleviate California’s 3.5 million-unit shortage.
“We need to make sure we are giving cities goals to quickly and efficiently increase density in a way that works for them to meet those requirements,” Wiener said. “It will significantly increase the zoned capacity of the cities.”
Jurisdictions with less than 10,000 residents could re-zone residential neighborhoods for duplexes, medium-sized cities up to 50,000 could build triplexes and larger metropolitan areas could pave way for fourplexes. Cities can expand that limit up to a so-called “tenplex,” if they choose, but those buildings would be limited to more urban infill or transportation and jobs corridors.
Wiener’s previous bill, Senate Bill 50, died after local governments protested that it would let the Capitol override the unique needs of California cities. Neighborhood activists warned of dramatic change to their single-family blocks, while affordable housing advocates argued the measure prioritized market-rate housing.
But David Garcia, policy director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, said California could benefit from modest reforms to single-family areas, given the “sheer scale” of these restrictive areas in cities up and down the state.
Most California jurisdictions limit multi-family housing to less than 25 percent of its land, according to a December 2018 Terner Center report.
“You don’t need to build apartment complexes on every single-family lot, but if there were to be some sprinkled through single-family neighborhoods, it wouldn’t change the fundamental character of that place,” Garcia said. However, he added that progress would depend on the incentives tied to upzoning.
The proposal would not modify local height restrictions, building separation requirements, objective design and historic property standards and demolition constraints, according to Wiener’s office. “Very high fire hazard” zones would also get a pass.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has in recent months urged the Legislature to offer innovative paths to housing production. Newsom devoted his February State of the State address to California’s increasingly desperate homeless situation, which is exacerbated by limited housing and sky-high rents.
Democratic leadership has welcomed Newsom’s call for reform.
When SB 50 died in January, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins of San Diego challenged her members to “get ready to come to the table” to “communicate, collaborate and compromise.”
Lawmakers have since responded with several measures that would chip away at the burdens cities often decry as roadblocks to production, including development fees and environmental review rules under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Wiener said his legislation would help ensure a smoother process.
“We’re going to give you these (state law) goals and you better zone for it. But guess what? It’s going to take you five to 10 years and you’re going to get sued under CEQA, and it’s going to take an enormous amount of time and money,” Wiener said. “It’s about changing the groundwork for how many units are legal to build.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 9:00 PM.