California just allowed single family home lots to be zoned for duplexes, STATE WIDE! From todays WSJ: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation allowing the construction of duplexes on most properties with one home, a severe curtailing of single-family zoning in a state struggling with some of the nation's highest housing prices.
The legislation, a long-sought goal for proponents of more housing construction, also makes it easier to divide existing lots into two, potentially providing the opportunity for four homes to be built where one was previously allowed.
The median home price in California rose 144% between 2000 and 2019 to $591,866, according to the California Association of Realtors. Factoring in housing costs, California has the highest poverty rate of any state, according to the Census Bureau.
Researchers and advocates have said inadequate construction of new housing is a key reason for high prices and a driver of homelessness in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, set a goal in 2019 of building half a million new housing units a year for seven years to erase the estimated 3.5 million homes the state would need by 2025.
Over the past five years, the state has averaged 109,000 homes a year, and during the pandemic in 2020, that dropped to 100,550, according to the Construction Industry Research Board, which tracks building-permit data.
"For too many Californians, the idea of owning a home, renting a house big enough for their family, or even just being able to live in the community where they work is a far-off dream," said state Sen. Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat who wrote the legislation. "This law will help close the gap and make those dreams a reality."
The law has provisions to prevent the displacement of renters and protect homes in historic districts and fire-prone areas.
Local elected leaders from cities across California opposed the legislation, saying it took away too much local zoning control. Leaders of more than 260 cities signed a League of California Cities letter this week urging Mr. Newsom to veto the bill because "it does not guarantee the construction of affordable housing nor will it spur additional housing development in a manner that supports local flexibility, decision-making, and community input."
Affordable-housing advocates also criticized the legislation for not containing provisions that mandate any new homes that are built be affordable."
AI
