The Homekey project at 1237 San Antonio Road has been in the works since fall 2023, when city and state leaders touted its importance in addressing the local and regional housing crisis.
Senate Bill 1167 has received the most favorable press, based on the understanding that the e-bike problem is actually an e-moto problem. The ruckus and ER visits are not caused by pedal-assist class 1 and 3 e-bikes, but by throttle devices that often fail to cut off at 20 mph, leading to safety concerns.
At the very root of our affordability crisis is the high cost of housing. High rents and expensive homes are driving families and high-wage jobs out of California. Our housing crisis makes it harder to hire teachers, child care workers and law enforcement officers; and it is closely linked to our crisis of street homelessness.
The cost rose a lot following the pandemic. And some of that was supply chain issues that really increased the costs, and then they didn't quite come back down. And now tariffs are also impacting some products. These costs are part of the reason the amount of new rental housing stock is shrinking.
California's emerging housing fracas over a single stairwell may become a lightning rod, affecting both building codes and capital investment in more multifamily projects in more places. California's Fire Marshal is reportedly in the final stages of a report due this month on whether the state will allow singlestair multifamily buildings above three stories, and on when and how they may be permitted.