After years of putting up a steady fight, Senate Bill 50 has flatlined.
[See related article: “Senate Bill 50 gains new life amidst community concern”]
The controversial housing bill, which aimed to increase density around transit stations and jobs, failed 18 to 15 votes. In order to move to the State Assembly, the bill required 21 votes.
However, Livable California, a rising group advocating for the self-determination of local governments and affordable housing believes the bill will come back in another form this year.
The group hosted a teleconference on Saturday, Feb. 1 to discuss what comes next.
Corliss Lee, president of local activist group Eastside Voice, sat in on the phone call after the bill was killed.
“They speculate that the developers that are funding politicians like [State Senator] Scott Wiener, author of SB50, […] will not walk away from their investment and will continue pushing for a housing bill that kills zoning restrictions,” Lee said.
Lee is referring to the 700 donations from developers, brokers, architects and others in real estate to Wiener’s 2016 state senate campaign. His 2020 re-election campaign is similarly bringing in numerous donations by those in real estate.
If SB50 is indeed resurrected in any other form, it won’t be long until voters know.
“By Feb. 21 all bills have to be proposed,” Lee said. “[…] We need to be watchful for the next onslaught.”
Lee has pointed her attention to AB 725, a housing bill aimed at increasing multifamily zoning across the state.
The bill is authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, representing the 15th California Assembly District and co-authored by Wiener.
“The same cast of characters are behind this bill,” Lee said. “Wicks has been a proponent of ‘trickle-down housing’ that supports developers making the decisions traditionally managed at the city level through Land Use Elements and zoning,” she said. “Trickle-down housing makes the assumption that if lots of housing is built, some of it will be affordable housing and resolve the housing crisis. A critical weakness in SB50 was the lack of criteria that would produce enough affordable housing.”
One of Lee’s concerns with the housing bill is its effects on the community.
“This bill has teeth–– it allows the state to withhold state monies for reimbursement to schools if cities do not comply,” she said. “Bills like these make the assumption that cities are the bad boys, that they are intentionally non-compliant with the wishes of the state.”
For now, AB 725 has been sent to the Rules Committee.
