Opportunity Housing Discussion at 03/27/21 D1LG Meeting
This above video documents the agenda item dealing with Opportunity Housing at the 3/27/21 District 1 Leadership Group meeting.
- 00:00 – Ken Pyle, D1LG Chair, provides an overview of the topic. Opportunity Housing in the context of San Jose is the focus, although there are statewide discussions that could change the discussion.*
- The presentation is here.
- Additionally, the list of questions that were submitted to and generated by the D1LG Steering Committee is here.
- Submit your question here https://forms.gle/HFrYc7EmPw3aiWEM9
- 05:32 – Mathew Reed of Silicon Valley at Home and Nikita Sinha a D1 resident and representing Neighborhoods for All https://sjneighborhoodsforall.com/ provide their perspective.
- 20:14 – Pierluigi Oliverio, former D6 Councilmember, representing Families & Homes SJ https://www.familieshomessj.org/ provide their perspective.
- 36:10 – Questions begin
- 53:19 – The Vice Mayor explains his thoughts on Opportunity Housing
The first part of the 03/27/21 meeting can be found here:
*There are multiple state bills, if enacted, that might change the above discussion or render it moot, such as
SB-6 – allows specified housing development projects in office or retail commercial zones (30 dwelling units/acre in “metropolitan” areas)
SB-9 allows two-houses and/or lot-splits by right in single-family residential zones. Minimum 1,200 square footage lot sizes.*
SB-10 – “grants local governments the ability to rezone parcels close to job centers, transit and existing urbanized areas to allow up to 10 residential units without undergoing CEQA review.”
SB-478 – sets minimum FAR for property already zoned for multi-family (closes loophole that effectively prohibits multi-family where it is already allowed).
AB 1322, which seems to allow the local vote of citizens or a city’s charter to be overruled if ……. the provisions or measures constitute a substantial obstacle to the city’s adoption or implementation of a timely, substantially compliant housing element. ….”constitute a substantial obstacle to the city’s adoption or implementation of a timely, substantially compliant housing element, as provided.
*When ADUs & Junior ADUs are considered, this could mean an existing lot could have between 2 to 6 units without local approval & up to 8 units if local ordinances allow. It isn’t clear whether a lot could be further split at some future time (e.g. could a 4,800 sq. foot lot be split in year 1 into 2 each, 2,400 square foot lots? Later, could those lots be split again so that there are now 4 each, 1,200 square foot lots (the minimum size) where there was once one?
Added 4/2/21 – Federal Infrastructure Bill Could Provide an Incentive to Open Up Zoning.
Here is an excerpt from the White House description of its vision for an infrastructure plan.
“Eliminate exclusionary zoning and harmful land-use policies. For decades, exclusionary zoning laws – like minimum lot sizes, mandatory parking requirements, and prohibitions on multifamily housing – have inflated housing and construction costs and locked families out of areas with more opportunities. President Biden is calling on Congress to enact an innovative, new competitive grant program that awards flexible and attractive funding to jurisdictions that take concrete steps to eliminate such needless barriers to producing affordable housing.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/
