As reported in the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento County may alter its requirement that developers provide 15% of their housing stock for affordable housing.
Hopefully, they will drop the requirement completely as it is a sure method of restricting the development of suburban and urban communities.
The development of new housing or the revitalization of existing housing stock should be primarily governed by market forces.
An excerpt.
“Supervisors changed Sacramento County’s overall housing policy Tuesday, laying the groundwork to possibly ease low-income housing requirements on developers.
“The decision came despite testimony from about 20 housing and homeless advocates, who fear the county is prepared to step away from a 2004 law that requires developments to have 15 percent affordable housing.
“We know that a stock of available and affordable housing is the best policy against homelessness,” said Joan Burke of Sacramento Loaves & Fishes, a homeless agency.
“Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to remove specifics about the affordable housing ordinance from their overall housing plan, which is reviewed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
“County Executive Brad Hudson said the change is necessary to avoid lawsuits should supervisors later decide to reduce the requirement.
“If you’re going to amend the ordinance, you should say so up front,” Hudson said.
“The housing plan’s reference to the affordable housing ordinance now says the county “will review and may amend” the ordinance.
“Supervisors did not discuss Tuesday whether to lower the affordable housing threshold, but said they want the option to do so after further study.
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