C.A.R. Urges Legislature to Take Action on Housing
As a follow-up to Legislative Day, C.A.R. and its members want to make clear to lawmakers that we OPPOSE ACA 7 (Muratsuchi), which seeks to amend the California State Constitution to permit local preemption of state law as it relates to land use planning and zoning. C.A.R. opposes ACA 7 because it will make it more difficult to build housing at a time when housing is desperately needed, and it will allow local governments to impose radical rent control.
C.A.R. is also urging the Legislature to prioritize the creation of housing and homeownership opportunities at all income levels to alleviate the dire housing shortage and to help close the wealth gap.
Please help us build upon the momentum of Legislative Day - we have created a letter that you can send to your legislators by clicking the buttons below. The letter that will be sent is as follows:
Thank you for meeting with your local REALTORS® as part of the California Association of REALTORS® first-ever fully virtual Legislative Day on April 27th. To follow up on conversations we had with you, I’d like to add my voice and ask that you vote NO on ACA 7, a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would permit local preemption of state law as it relates to land use planning and zoning. I OPPOSE this proposal because it will make it more difficult to build housing at a time when housing is desperately needed, and it will allow local governments to impose radical rent control.
I would also like to encourage you to enact real solutions to the state’s dramatic housing shortage, like SB 6 which will allow commercial property to more easily be converted to residential property. I also urge to oppose attempts to tax homeownership by preserving the mortgage interest deduction, making housing fees more transparent and avoiding service and transfer taxes and other fees that make buying and owning a home further out of reach for most here in California.
To send a letter to your Legislator(s) please click the 'Take Action' button below.
Background
ACA 7 – Under existing law, if there is a conflict between a state and local law, state laws generally override any county or local ordinance. When there is a conflict between federal and state law, federal law generally preempts state law. ACA 7, if enacted and approved by the voters, would effectively remove the state’s oversight authority over local land-use planning and zoning by making local law, except in limited circumstances, the final word on land-use planning in a local jurisdiction. ACA 7 would permit local cities and counties to opt out of, among other things, density bonus law, the general plan, RHNA and housing element planning process, the Housing Accountability Act, any state mandated housing approval or streamlining measure, including those streamlining regulations to facilitate the approval and development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), etc.
SB 6 – SB 6 allows property zoned for commercial use to be more easily utilized for housing. It will require that a local government ministerially approve housing developments of at least 20 units per acre on lots zoned for office, retail or commercial use on a neighborhood lot. These proposed housing developments would continue to be subject to all local zoning, parking, and design ordinances, as well as any design review or other public notice, comment, hearing, or procedure applicable to a housing development.