They’re doing all this to prevent people from MEMORIALIZING A MASS SHOOTING
Here to solve the Housing Crisis Tweets mostly about LA and CA land use and development
2,347 followers 180 following 1,912 posts
view profile on Bluesky
They’re doing all this to prevent people from MEMORIALIZING A MASS SHOOTING
Los Angeles is not unaffordable by accident
The J line will qualify at the point of dedicated freeway stations, but not at the point where it is in mixed traffic
The vibes on this seem positive? (SB 79 is the latest iteration of Wiener’s perennial statewide clean-ish zoning override forcing multifam in single-family zones. It keeps getting watered down, but it was so dramatic that even so it remains the YIMBYest bill in America.)
My advice to people is to not freak out about any of these changes, and wait for the language to come out.
It applies to full-time bus lanes or busways, if the stop also meets the Major Transit Stop definition. I'm not sure what the confusion is that you're referring to.
Amendments to SB 79 will be published on Tuesday. This is what I'm hearing: 1) Tier 3 stops (most Metrolink + less-urban areas) have been removed 2) Local government opt-outs around fire zones + historic 3) Clarified language around planned stops
The neighbors have no say in the project
Here's a much better-looking proposed project on a similar site. Obviously, much more expensive to build, though
Oh. Yea. lol
My assembly member put out a public statement opposing the bill. I still called him. What's the worst that could happen?
Is that not a newspaper ratio 50% higher than Santa Monica?
I think a "cement building" is a pretty good name to call stuff like this
It's amazing what a city with a bunch of wealthy, retired, nosey people can accomplish
I mean, isn't she correct in saying cement? What she's talking about is stucco buildings like this, and stucco is made from cement but isn't concrete.
I mean modern exterior stucco does use cement, doesn't it?
In Santa Monica, we have like 6 different competing local “newspapers” with one of them being explicitly YIMBY
The fact that land use decisions are council members' number-one job is *why* we have such an acute housing crisis here. They have incredible influence over land use, and for 50 years they've used it to make sure we never build enough homes to make the city more affordable.
No it doesn’t
Homeless people can't live in agency
Is she not aware that the FAA has to sign off on tall buildings near airports?
No, for some reason the payment for a low-income household is equal to the cut-off income for a low-income household I guess?
The cutoff for low income for a one person household in Los Angeles is $84,850
IDK the details in SF, but in LA, tenants get MUCH higher relocation assistance payments for new construction (Chart B) than for renovations (Chart A). I think $84k - $112k should be enough to cover rent for 1-3 years?
That's not true at all. SB 79 does not allow the demolition of rent controlled buildings with more than two units, and tenants get the same relocation benefits and potential right-to-return as they get with any other development (yes, there are flaws in those rights, which I am trying to fix)
In fact, here's an easy link to find the phone number to do it! streetsforall.org/sb79
If you live in California and believe in building more housing, please call your assembly member and ask them to vote "yes" on SB 79! I did it on Friday and it takes < 1 minute Enter your address here to get their phone number: streetsforall.org/sb79
I still can't believe Councilmember Padilla used *forcing a developer to reduce the size of an affordable housing project* as an example of how she is making housing more affordable for the people in her district!
www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
Jon Lovett’s face when LA City Councilmember Imelda Padilla said she forced an affordable housing project to go down from six stories to three stories and add in EV charging spaces
our cities are gonna change one way or the other. the question is whether we embrace that change by building more housing at all income levels or calcify systemic inequality by de facto ensuring that the housing available is only accessible to the rich
Interactive map here: www.arcgis.com/apps/instant...
Interactive map here! www.arcgis.com/apps/instant...
(the asterisk is that condos and small-lot homes also show up in yellow, but those are not going to be in single-family neighborhoods)
Every dot on this map is a parcel that has been redeveloped in the past 15 years. Yellow is single-family* Green is duplex Red is apartment building Notice something? In single-family zones, a massive number of homes have been torn down and replaced with mansions
Oh, you mean this density gradient isn't just a natural outgrowth of urban land economics?
In response to SB840, Plano added multifamily residential as an allowed use in all commercial zones, and also updated all multifamily zones to: - Remove density, FAR, lot coverage limits - Increase height limit to 45 ft - Reduce front yard requirement to 25 ft - Reduce parking requirement to 1/unit
Finally, there's an isolated industrial district flanking either side of a highway (2/2)
The part of LA County with the most logical land-use patterns is probably Long Beach. You have an urban core, with density reducing as you get further from the core. There are commercial/transit corridors radiating North and East from this core, with higher density adjacent to these. (1/2)
The land use patterns of Southern California are kinda insane
Correct
Yesterday, the owner of a new 200-unit apartment building in Hollywood asked LA City Council for permission to get rid of affordable units, because they've been "unable to rent them." Meanwhile, they aren't listed on the building's website or affordable housing databases The nerve!
Why is the rent so damn high in LA? Simple economics: the demand for housing is extremely high and our housing supply is extremely low.
Since the 1980s, California's major cities have seen huge declines in Black population, both in absolute terms and as a share of total population. During the same period, both of these measures were pretty stable in Texas cities, especially over the past 20 years.
He wants to be able to refinance the national debt at lower rates. His primary concern isn't economic growth/mortgage rates/etc.
www.veevsanjose.com
SoLa Impact’s Model/Z modular spin-out placed 70 modules in just 10 days for their 62nd and Broadway project. Pretty impressive progress.
The Menlo Park CA City Council using two poison pills to weasel out of its commitment to 345 affordable housing units on parking plazas: * Developer must build 565 public parking spaces at its own cost (around $57 million). * Developer can't use state or local waivers/concessions. Gutless.
Yea, I am confused by that too. This is from their new modular division, so maybe they’re trying out a new business model or something for it?
Construction materials: $250K Labor: $100K Permitting/design: $50K Land cost: $2.5 million Somebody help me my housing market is dying
In 2004, this house sold for $56,000 20 years later, Lennar bought it for $1.5 million & tore it down to build a new 3,000 sq ft house, now listed for $2.9 million. In the future, thanks to SB 1123, a developer could build five smaller homes instead, selling each for $900k
Would you pay $2.9 million for a home that looks like this? This is from Lennar's Veev modular devision. It seems like a nice product (similar to Cover) but IMO it just doesn't look premium enough to justify its price tag
I hope you don't mind, I stole your picture for a Twitter post
Three towers of Sen̓áḵw (phase 1) rising above Kits 6 Reserve as reclaimed by the Squamish Nation near downtown Vancouver. senakw.com/place Here emerging from trees on the Parkview Tower lot at the foot of the Burrard Bridge nearby (also formerly part of Kits 6). 1/
Faizah Malik, who is running against Traci Park for Council District 11 in Los Angeles, has come out in favor of SB 79. She said that, while there are amendments she wants to see made to the law "we urgently need more housing, and we need political leaders who will have the courage to fight for it"
I would sorta argue that this is a completely reasonable position for a "union" to take. Their job is to advocate for the interests of the tenants, and tenants don't want to loose their parking. Their job isn't to advocate for what is best for ALL tenants, just their member tenants
One of the lobbyists told me they’re included. This really needs to be cleared up
Yea, J Line has fully-dedicated lanes at the point of stations
In LA, weirdly the bus lanes on Sepulveda Boulevard in the Valley seem to meet the qualification criteria. The Measure HLA bus lanes in LA should qualify when built
Received some SB 79 fan mail accusing me of trying to flood California with "3RD WORLD COUNTRY LOOKING GIANT APARTMENTS" as I work remotely from a giant apartment building in a third world country.
I do not agree with that assessment
At least publicly, he has stayed neutral so far. His actions on CEQA reform were very unusual for him
Thank you! I’m also Zbur, and I called last week to express my disappointment with his statements on it
I think she's on the fence. If you have any friends that might be willing to call, that could make a big difference
That's right at the boarder of two members. You can find the right one by address here: findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov
This is pretty huge. Barbara Lee, one of the most consistently Progressive politicians in California, has come out in favor of SB 79
Assembly
Still worth calling. He might not turn into a "yes" vote, but he is influential and it's better for him to a quiet "no" than one that could influence other lawmakers. Here's the message I left on his office's voicemail last week:
Your assembly member is most likely Rick Chavez Zbur. His office's phone number is (916) 319-2051. (there's also a chance it could be Jacqui Irwin. You can check for sure here: findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov) Thanks for taking the time to call!
Your assembly member is Jessica Caloza. Her office's phone number is (916) 319-2052. Thanks for taking the time to call!
Your assembly member is Isaac Bryan. His office's number is (916) 319-2055. Thanks for taking the time to call!
Your assembly member is Jessica Caloza. Her office's phone number is (916) 319-2052. Thanks for taking the time to call!
If you live in California and want SB 79 to pass... CALL YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER TODAY comment with your zip code and I'll reply with their office's phone number
It does not have anywhere near enough votes to pass at the moment
I suspect part of this is that people who choose to buy a house next to a Metro stop somewhat self-selects for people who are more accepting of an urban environment. The people who are really upset seem to mostly live near bus lines they worry are going to become BRT
It's interesting, this seems to be the general sentiment of people I've talked to who live near actual SB 79-qualifying train stops. They're not happy about the idea of their neighborhood changing, but they see upsides and understand it makes sense for density to be added there
Fire zones would only qualify if they’re on state fire maps BRT scares people because BRT lanes can be added relatively easily, so it makes it seem like any bus line could one day qualify. I’d much rather see BRT removed vs. qualifying in single family zoning
Relatively minor changes to SB 79 that I think would nullify a lot of the opposition: 1) Remove BRT from qualifying 2) Exempt parcels in fire zones 3) Clarify language to ensure it only applies to transit stops that are open or actively under construction, not planned stops
How do people STILL not know the difference between Blackrock and Blackstone???
Can someone please hurry up and adopt this rooster? It’s 5am, and the rooster has woken up all the dogs, who have decided to wake up the entire neighborhood.
Katie Porter, the current frontrunner to be California's next governor, has come out in favor of SB 79.
So there IS in fact a rooster at the dog pound behind my apartment and I haven’t just been hallucinating hearing crowing at the crack of dawn!
😬
A lot are garage conversions, often in multifamily buildings. But there are a lot of standalone too
It’s kinda both.
I think they’re just clay brick blocks www.archiproducts.com/en/products/...
IDK why the economics are so different in Seattle vs LA. > 30% of our housing production is ADUs
We all hate NEPA until it's used to force the shutdown of a concentration camp. With the administration follow the order, or just attempt to ignore it?
Incredible split screen between 1) the fascist regime waging a propaganda campaign based on high rates of urban homelessness, and 2) America's second largest city lobbying the state legislature not to make them build more housing because of potential "unintended consequences."
This is the first project I've seen in LA to use AB 1633 to force approval
Are these tank or tankless heaters? (growing up, my family would run out of hot water pretty often when everyone was showering, even though we had two fairly-large heaters, so I'm wondering how a small tank system would be adequate)
I just found a development law I was unaware of that I'm pretty sure LA is violating. But I'm not going to tell anyone about it, because it would make my life much harder if they complied
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. And just because you do, doesn't mean you should do it again. And again. And again. And again.
Most of Arcadia is $4 million homes on 1/2 acre lots. And then one neighborhood randomly has perfect missing-middle density
I'm assigning you the task of compiling the full list of cities 😛
