"California has become a test lab for housing reform. The state stands as an ongoing experiment-in-process for how far lawmakers will go to legalize the development of more homes and how hard local officials and neighborhood activists will fight to stop it. The latest flashpoint struck on Thursday, as the Los Angeles transit agency board voted against implementing a landmark transit-oriented development law that city council members passed last year."
"The law pre-empted local authority and opened land around rail and rapid bus lines to mid-rise apartments. Senate Bill 677, now under consideration, would tighten the screws to strip away local roadblocks. The goal is to get SB 79's transitoriented housing approved and built, rather than having it die in the process due to finance and permitting expirations. The Metro board's staff argues in its recent analysis that automatic upzoning fuels local opposition, delays projects and puts key local transit investments at risk."
California serves as a proving ground for aggressive housing reform that pre-empts local control to allow more homes near transit. Los Angeles officials recently voted against implementing a transit-oriented development law and may oppose technical fixes intended to ensure projects are built. Similar state-local clashes are occurring in Texas, Colorado and Florida, where legislators keep revising laws to overcome local workarounds and resistance. State bills aim to strip local roadblocks and prevent projects from expiring due to financing or permitting delays, while local officials argue automatic upzoning can fuel opposition and endanger transit investments.
Read at www.housingwire.com
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