Last Thoughts From Manville, Monkkonen, and Lens
superadmin2025-01-07T00:27:06-07:00This article responds to other commentaries and responses to It’s "Time to End Single-Family Zoning."
A New Approach to the Housing Element Update
superadmin2025-01-07T00:27:06-07:00Local governments face new rules as they begin updating their local Housing Elements for the 2021-29/2022-30 planning period. This brief proposes a new way for cities to approach the sites inventory to meet their housing targets, moving beyond simply identifying vacant and underutilized parcels.
Housing Demolition and Redevelopment in Los Angeles
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:56-07:00This report examines whether new development in Los Angeles is resulting in the widespread loss, through demolition, of older, more affordable housing units.
Reducing Development Costs with Impact Fee Deferral
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:56-07:00A fee deferral program would preserve the quantity — and depending on policy design, also the timing — of public fee revenues, while reducing private carrying costs.
“I Would, If Only I Could” How Cities Can Use California’s Housing Element to Overcome Neighborhood Resistance to New Housing
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:57-07:00An explanation of how city councils and planning departments can use the housing element law to increase housing supply, but find themselves constrained by neighborhood-level opposition to change.
Regional Housing Need in California: The San Francisco Bay Area
superadmin2025-01-07T00:27:00-07:00The San Francisco Bay Area's housing target fails to account for the fact that the region leads the nation in super-commuters, many of whom work in the Bay Area but have been driven to live outside of it.
Building Up the “Zoning Buffer”: Using Broad Upzones to Increase Housing Capacity Without Increasing Land Values
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:43-07:00In this paper I introduce the concept of the “zoning buffer” — the gap between the existing housing stock and the maximum number of homes allowed by current zoning — and describe how it affects land values and ultimately the production and affordability of housing.
By Transit, By-Right: Impacts of Housing Development Approval Processes on Transit-Supportive Density
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:43-07:00This brief studies the relationship between transit ridership and the housing development process. Even if new multifamily housing is allowed on a site, a complicated, lengthy or unpredictable process could still discourage its production and thus, transit ridership.
A Review of California’s Process for Determining, and Accommodating Regional Housing Needs
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:44-07:00This background paper is meant to help the California State Auditor and legislators better understand the limitations of the RHNA process and areas for improvement.
Regional Housing Needs Assessment Cover Letter
superadmin2025-01-07T00:26:47-07:00This review and cover letter was written to provide background and suggestions for Auditors Tilden and Lozano to consider in relation to the audit commissioned by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee at the request of Members Glazer, Newman, Bauer-Kahan, Portantino, Muratsuchi, Stern, and Bates.