- Published on
To save California, sacrifice single-family zoning
- Authors
- Name
- Mise.ai
- @Mise.AI
The affordable units in California are of serious shortage. a lot of neighborhood in the residential area have been zoned as R1 since the establishment more than 60 to 70 years ago. It is popular to see a typical 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch style house of 1200sf on a quarter acre lot (minimum requirement for septic tank).
For decades now, California leaders have been stuck in a low-density, single-family, not-in-my-backyard 20th century mindset. The result is a deep housing shortage that is driving more Californians into poverty, worsening inequality and hurting economic opportunity.
Behind the high selling price of Californian house, majority of the value goes with the land (~80%), structure and house itself 10-20%.(both from assessor, insurance company and construction cost), SB9 is opening a huge winning change to empower the home/land owner to be able to fast track 1-3 more units which would increase the capacities of neighborhood by 2X, 3X or 4X. more than just bring them higher rental income, with the up to 3 new addresses for each old properties, the neighborhoods can host more families, more school ages kids or more now investment to revive the decaying neighborhood.
In California, lawmakers have an opportunity this year to take small but vital steps toward easing the housing crisis. Senate Bills 9 and 10 would allow small multifamily buildings on single-family lots. These are the two most controversial housing bills this year. That should tell you just how politicized housing legislation has become because, despite all the angst, these bills probably won’t make a big impact on home construction any time soon.
And yet, lawmakers should still pass SB 9 and SB 10, and Gov. Gavin Newsom should still sign them. California needs to dismantle exclusionary zoning. This will have to be a bill-by-bill and city-by-city process until, finally, California communities remove the restrictions that stifle home creation and perpetuate segregation and inequality.
Yes, the owner-occupancy requirement will further whittle down SB 9’s ability to create more housing. But it’s a reasonable restriction if it helps quell concern in disadvantaged communities. That’s important because SB 9 is really a proof-of-concept bill. It’s about showing people that adding a little density and a few more homes won’t destroy their neighborhood.
SB 9 is also the next step in continuing to legalize a style of construction that used to be quite common, with single-family homes next to duplex, triplex and fourplex apartment buildings. That mix of housing was only later prohibited by single-family zoning.
SB 10 would allow a local government to zone any parcel of land, including a single-family lot, to allow a building of 10 units or less. The property would have to be urban infill or near public transit. SB 10 would allow local governments to upzone without going through a lengthy California Environmental Quality Act review or face CEQA lawsuits, which can delay projects and make them more expensive. Local governments can also use SB 10 to override voter-imposed land-use restrictions that would block such small residential buildings.
SB 10 is not a mandate. Cities can choose to upzone properties near transit. Or not. SB 10 gives cities and counties local control and CEQA streamlining — two policies local elected officials consistently call for. Under SB 10, local governments are allowed to require affordable housing in these upzoned projects.
SB 10 is completely voluntary, which is why it’s so baffling that the Los Angeles City Council and other local governments have opposed it. If cities don’t want to streamline construction of small apartments near transit, they don’t have to. It’s optional. The vehement opposition probably has more to do with the author, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), than the bill itself. Wiener has been the champion of zoning reform for the last three years and thus has become the favorite target of NIMBY groups. But in their haste to demonize density and state housing production bills, L.A. and other cities could be denying themselves a useful tool.
Ending single-family zoning is not the silver bullet to end California’s housing crisis. But it is an important piece of a larger effort in the state — and the nation — to fix failed policies and misplaced priorities that have led to a broken housing market and woefully inadequate housing safety net. There’s a lot of work to be done. SB 9 and SB 10 can help.
Our winning formula for a home owner in Cupertino, nieghborhood:
Mise.AI We are the platform of a group of architect and engineers to help home owner fast track, worry free from design, permitting to financing the ADU projects
You have a land of 10000sf, SB9 will help you win:
keep the legal ownership
keep the property tax base; (while some neighbors are paying >$50,000 a year) and you can pass down to your kids and grandkids; -. we will fund and help you to upgrade your property in Cupertino, CA 95014
to up to 2 APN ( sale one 3 years later), 4 units with 800sf bonus from city on lot coverage with 4 addresses ( can send 4 families to school, that is ~200K each), construction will be 3moths with permitted plan,
higher rental income from $5000 to $$15000/month (5000, 4000,3000, 3000)
was not qualified for mortgage from bank, with this income you can be qualify for a mortgage to pay off the construction cost 3000/mo mortgage )
the net income will be around $12000/month before tax along with all the win and
total increase of properties from 1400sf to 3500sf, increase the property values to ~ $5M.
Would be glad to help you to realize your dream and make your porperty to be your stable income source and help the neighborhood as well.
Please schedule a Zoom consultation with us! https://calendly.com/mise-ai/30min