Looking Back on 2023 and Moving Forward to 2024
by Jennifer LeSar, President and Founding CEO | LeSar Portfolio of Firms
Reflecting on the accomplishments of the past year, we celebrate the strides made towards more stable, safe, and affordable housing in California. At the same time, there are fresh reminders that our work is not done, and we must continue innovating and identifying ways to ensure California remains a place for all.
In 2023, the Governor and Legislature continued to prioritize housing and homelessness, passing numerous laws to streamline housing development, explore innovative approaches, and increase funding sources for housing production.
Two high-profile bills by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) continue the yearlong trend of land use streamlining: SB 4, the “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill, streamlines the development of new affordable homes on land owned by faith-based institutions and nonprofit colleges, and SB 423 extends and strengthens SB 35 to further streamline and accelerate housing permits in certain localities.
As the concept of social housing continues to stoke interest both in California and nationally, SB 555 (Wahab, D-Fremont) created the Stable Affordable Housing Act of 2023 to create opportunities for social housing through a mix of acquisition and new construction and requires the state’s Housing and Community Development department to develop, adopt, and submit to the legislature a Social Housing Study by December 31, 2026.
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