Wahab she also had concerns with SB79 because it "removed all local control" which, again, is flatly untrue. She says the "height amount" in single-family zones was "deeply significant." She says local councils should have a say in what housing makes sense for their community.
Wahab says SB79 barely got out of the senate, but the bill has changed significantly. She claims that pretty much every amendment she was concerned with has been taken at this point. She says she hasn't really looked at the bill recently, but it's much better than it was. Author's note: woah!
Note: judging by the faces of the audience, this is neither what the expected nor wanted to hear from her...
We're talking now about how to limit the power of lobbyists. Wahab says because they don't have term limits, lobbyists can and do outlast legislators, which makes things tricky.
Alright, going to questions now! First is Santa Monica Mayor Negrete. She says she and Sen. Wahab are "very much aligned." and that the need isn't for housing "as a whole" but really for affordable housing. Claims Santa Monica has lots of vacant market rate housing.
Mayor Negrete says housing should be built in places where supply and demand works and not places it doesn't, like Santa Monica, where demand will always outstrip supply because everyone wants to live there. Author's note: dawg...
Wahab speaking now. She again says that we need 2.5M homes and are only building 100k/yr, and that all the streamlining and CEQA fixes in the world will never fix that. Author's note: gonna be a hard disagree from me!
Wahab says people aren't interested in developing affordable housing, which is what we actually need, or in the central valley, in "emerging" cities, where we really need it. Dawg, I am losing my mind here
Wahab claims "they" don't want "real transparency" on vacancy rates. She says "they" can always hide behind the talking points. She seems to be touting a statewide rental registry now (she shouts out Buffy Wicks), which I think many YIMBYs (myself included) support
Mayor Negrete is back and says that people always complain about long commutes, but if we simply built more in the central valley, people wouldn't have to commute! And Wahab seems to agree! Once again, I am losing my mind.
A man named John with a giant American flag in the background is railing against Scott Wiener, and asks who the "big money" people are that are pulling the strings. He suggests George Soros or CodePink. Once again: DAWG.
Santa Monica is a an extractive commuter economy. Everything is paid for by workers that the city largely refuses to allow to live in the city. Before Covid the day time population tripled. Wahab and Negrete are mind bogglingly anti-worker.
Senator Wahab, let’s get this done! cayimby.org/resources/po...
I agree with her but in a “necessary but insufficient” way.
You shouldn't build housing in places where lots of people want to live?
I do not want to live in Santa Monica.
Demand will always outstrip supply in Santa Monica and also Santa Monica has a big vacancy rate? Pick a lane, Mayor.
seems like the Mayor doesn't know how supply and demand actually work...
Earlier there was "NYC builds up and housing isn't cheaper there", as though density = sufficient.
OMG pepple aren't even embarrassed to say dumb shit anymore.
Denies basic supply and demand exists in Santa Monica!
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete says she and Wahab are very aligned on their thoughts... Oh? Does Waha need to be asked how she feels about RFK? (this picture is Negrete at an RFK for President 2024 campaign event)
What
Well if she tells Weiner she'll only vote for the bill if it allows local councils to get the same density a different way, and Weiner says, OK, done...
I honestly am very confused about what she’s talking about here and in general
She represents Silicon Valley and the East Bay. How the heck does she think her constituents, who, like herself, want to buy houses, would be helped by more housing in the Central Valley?
She supports more housing on the Central Valley? Did I mis something?
My main point is she’s basically incoherent but I’m wondering where this Central Valley point comes from
bsky.app/profile/cafe...
More housing anywhere helps ease pressure everywhere Econ 101, Silicon Valley edition.
That's true, if there's demand for it. Which I guess there is on the margin in the Central Valley.
There are people that commute from Los Banos to silicon valley and it sucks
At least one cop in Los Altos commutes from Mountain House, which is almost a two hour drive. Other cops commute from far away too. Los Altos is setting up a cop dorm because of this.
Firefighters in my area are gravitating toward much longer shifts fewer days a week and this is part of the reason
Jordan - if I had an extra $79 in my pocket - do you think I should wager it on SB79 being signed by the Governor by the end of September?
It's very much not a done deal yet. Assembly floor will be tough, as will senate concurrence. Call your assemblymember and senator if you haven't already!