Another Dense Housing Proposal

Sen. Scott Wiener (D, San Francisco) seems fixated on solving the California housing crisis by allowing high density housing in single-family neighborhoods. Wiener’s bill SB 50, which would have allowed this, failed in January, But now he’s is back with SB 902. This would allow the construction of duplex, triplex, and fourplex residential units without local government approval in single-family neighborhoods. This bill would supersede local zoning laws, allowing for the higher density homes, depending on the population of the city, according to the California Federation of Republican Women.

It also would provide incentives for cities willing to allow 10-unit projects and, after a vote from the local government, would exempt them from the California Environmental Quality Act regulations. The housing crisis needs to be addressed and CEQA reforms should be at the heart of the issue, notes the CFRW, but local and city governments must be included in the conversation and not be superseded by statewide mandates.