@issue: The Pros and Cons of Jerry Brown’s Housing Plan

@issue is an occasional post of a story or research from a reputable source about another city and its development, affordable housing, homelessness, traffic or other issues that also are concerns for West Hollywood. @issue is intended to generate discussion among WEHOville readers and to raise awareness among West Hollywood City Council members about how other cities are dealing with issues like ours

From the Los Angeles Times, Aug. 16, 2016: “(Gov.) Brown’s plan essentially would grant housing developers a pass on environmental and local planning reviews if 5% to 20% of the units are reserved for low-income or affordable housing. The proposals would be eligible for fast-track approval if they met several other requirements: To be eligible for so-called by-right approval, they would have to be multi-family developments in urban neighborhoods and conform to local general development plans and zoning laws. In announcing the plan in May, Brown tied it to a promise of $400 million for housing subsidies….

“The administration portrays the new proposal as a way to ‘streamline’ local and environmental planning, reducing bureaucratic and nuisance delays in the teeth of the crisis….

“The problem is that what looks like red tape and nuisance lawsuits to a real estate developer can serve as crucial and all-too-rare opportunities for input for neighbors and local officials. Local leaders question whether the streamlined process would give planners sufficient time to examine the impact of ‘by right’ developments on traffic, light pollution, noise and civic services.

Read the full story here: California desperately needs affordable housing — but also a new blueprint for building it.