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Lafayette Faces Legal Trouble Over Housing -- Yet Again
A housing advocacy group has sued the Contra Costa County suburb of Lafayette, alleging that officials have failed to comply with state housing laws by relying on unrealistic sites to meet their housing obligations. The lawsuit, filed by the Housing Action Coalition, argues that Lafayette’s plan, despite state approval, includes locations such as businesses and religious institutions that have no actual intention of developing housing. California mandates that cities create housing plans to accommodate growth, though they are not required to build the units themselves—only to facilitate their construction through zoning and planning. Lafayette has a history of resisting housing development, having previously delayed a 315-unit apartment project for over a decade. This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of advocacy groups challenging cities they believe are obstructing housing production while appearing to comply with state laws.
Los Angeles Seeks Innovative Designs for Small Lots
Los Angeles launched the "Small Lots, Big Impacts" initiative to encourage the development of affordable, for-sale starter homes on small lots, aiming to increase housing density without relying on high-rise buildings. The city, in collaboration with LA4LA and UCLA’s cityLAB, is holding a design competition to create innovative small-home plans that could become pre-approved templates for developers. To demonstrate feasibility, officials plan to sell about 10 city-owned lots to developers who would use the winning designs to construct housing. Proceeds from these sales will fund down payment assistance for homebuyers, with projects expected to range from four to 20 units and one to three stories tall. The initiative seeks to make smaller, lower-cost homes more common, offering an alternative to expensive single-family houses and large apartment complexes.
Irvine Seeks to Create "Gathering Space" with TOD District
The Irvine City Council adopted the Crescent Transit Oriented Development District plan as part of the Great Park Framework Plan, exchanging two parcels of land with Heritage Fields El Toro to link Irvine Spectrum and Great Park in the heavily suburban city. The 60-acre Crescent District, located near the Irvine Transportation Center, is envisioned as a central gathering space that prioritizes housing and mobility. Originally part of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, the land was later developed by HFET and another company into the Great Park Sports Park. In return for the Crescent District, HFET will receive 27 acres of city-owned land. City officials emphasized that the project aligns with Irvine’s long-term planning goals, promoting transit accessibility, reducing car dependence and fostering workforce housing.
San Francisco Considers Ambitious Bike Plan
San Francisco transportation officials have drafted a long-term plan to expand the city’s bike infrastructure, aiming to make a safe cycling route accessible within a quarter mile of every resident’s home. The "Biking and Rolling" plan proposes upgrades to 385 streets, including protected bike lanes, speed bumps and redesigned intersections, but faces challenges due to past community opposition to bike lane expansions. Unlike previous bike plans focused on downtown commuters, this version emphasizes accessibility for diverse neighborhoods and shorter local trips, aiming to reduce car dependency in a post-pandemic era. Officials have gathered community input, particularly from historically underserved areas, but remain cautious about proposing major changes to commercial corridors to avoid business disruptions. While the plan outlines a broad vision, specific commitments for certain streets, like Geneva Avenue, are yet to be finalized.
CP&DR Coverage: California Forever + Suisun City?
Last month, the city council of Suisun City — a city of 28,000 in the southwest corner of Solano County — voted 4-1 to study the annexation of potentially all land within its sphere of influence. That would encompass a trapezoidal area east of the city and south of Travis Air Force Base. It includes some of the 60,000 acres owned by Flannery Associates throughout unincorporated portions of the county and would abut a major industrial development planned by the company. Suisun City is financially distressed with little infill opportunity. Annexation could enable the city to gain jurisdiction over a portion of the East Solano Plan, which has, thus far, failed to receive support from the county Board of Supervisors or and has not yet been submitted to county voters.
Quick Hits & Updates
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors adopted an amendment to the city’s planning code that removes certain fees and deadlines to encourage converting commercial buildings into housing, potentially saving developers up to $90,000 per unit.
A recent poll of Los Angeles County voters reveals strong support for tougher building codes and restrictions on home construction in high-risk wildfire areas, following the Palisades and Eaton fires. Voters also back increased fire protection funding, even with tax hikes, and favor building more homes in higher-density urban areas rather than fire-prone neighborhoods. However, there was opposition to allowing insurance companies to raise rates to provide broader fire coverage.
Senator Scott Wiener has introduced Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, to promote housing development near major transit hubs by allowing buildings up to seven stories and easing zoning restrictions. Previous versions of Wiener’s transit-housing proposals faced opposition over concerns about neighborhood character and displacement, but he says this bill is more targeted, focusing only on high-quality transit stops.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles has paused new applications for the Section 8 voucher program due to insufficient federal funding, which is not expected to meet current operational needs. The Section 8 program, which subsidizes rent for around 60,000 families in the city, could face cuts to existing vouchers if funding gaps are not addressed, potentially affecting up to 6,000 households.
The Encinitas City Council approved, on a 3-1 vote, the controversial Quail Meadows apartment project, a massive 448-unit development, despite strong opposition from local groups who filed appeals over environmental concerns and state law violations. The council's decision, which they described as made under "absolute duress and coercion" due to state pressure, allows the project to proceed, although it could still face an appeal to the Coastal Commission.
A motion introduced in the Los Angeles City Council aims to relax building codes requiring multiple staircases in mid-sized apartment buildings, potentially increasing housing supply by allowing more space for apartments. The change would allow developers to build buildings with a single staircase, which research suggests would not compromise safety, reduce construction costs and help create more family-sized rental units in a city facing an affordable housing shortage.
A report by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Gensler suggests converting vacant office buildings in Los Angeles and Houston into tiny apartments with shared living spaces would be a cost-effective solution to housing shortages. These micro-apartments would be cheaper to build than traditional housing, with estimated rents of $1,000 in Los Angeles.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors has begun implementing Measure A, which requires voter approval for rezoning agricultural, rural or rangeland areas for commercial development. At a recent meeting, the board determined that developers, not taxpayers, would bear the cost of these elections, ranging from $40,000 for a general election to $500,000 for a special election.
The Sierra Club reached a settlement with a major warehouse developer in Moreno Valley, requiring the facility’s entire fleet of trucks and delivery vehicles to be 100% electric ahead of state mandates. Additional environmental protections include onsite solar power, battery storage, truck idling limits and funding for an air quality monitoring station. A similar settlement with Costco in Tracy mandates that 72% of trucks servicing its warehouse be zero-emission by 2027.
A study analyzing wildfire planning in 58 California counties found gaps in addressing social vulnerability and recovery planning in key policy documents. Researchers assessed the effectiveness of General Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans and Community Wildfire Protection Plans in building wildfire resilience.
San Diego has ended negotiations with an investment company on a plan to develop over 400 affordable housing units on a valuable downtown site, citing financial infeasibility and the city's requirement to sell the land at fair market value. The project, which would have replaced a Ritz-Carlton hotel, struggled due to rising interest rates, limited funding for affordable housing and restrictions under the Surplus Land Act, prompting the company to withdraw.
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP), a rezoning plan aimed at increasing housing development along commercial corridors and multifamily neighborhoods while largely preserving single-family zones. The program offers developers incentives to build more housing, particularly affordable units near public transit, as part of the city's strategy to meet state-mandated housing goals and address concerns over equity and displacement.
Newly introduced Senate Bill 71 seeks to make exemptions from environmental reviews permanent for various transit projects, including bus-only lanes and bike paths, aiming to fast-track sustainable transportation options. The bill, supported by lawmakers and environmental groups, is designed to reduce gridlock and emissions but faces opposition due to concerns about potential negative impacts on communities and businesses.
