In a bold stride to alleviate the housing crisis in California, State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, unveiled a suite of legislative proposals aimed to boost housing production, decrease housing expenses, and widen the path to homeownership, as confirmed by an announcement on her official Senate page.
The crux of Skinner's "2024 Housing Package" includes SB 1211, which would greenlight an uptick in accessory dwelling units on multifamily property plots, SB 1210 to cap and slash pricey utility hook-up fees on fresh housing units, and finally, SB 1212, which aims to bolster homeownership rates by putting the brakes on hedge funds and other bulk-buying corporate entities from snapping up single-family homes across the Golden State. In a move reflective of her recent appointment as the chair of the Senate Housing Committee, Sen. Skinner detailed her vision of a more inclusive housing market where the financial clout of corporate buyers doesn't muscle out individuals and families.
With the creation of ADUs, or "second units", California has noted a significant rise in new, affordably constructed dwellings nestled within existing residential areas, Sen. Skinner highlighted, adding that while the ADU sector is expanding rapidly, jumping from a mere 800 permits a year a decade ago to over 20,000 currently, further work to encourage this growth is essential, "California has made progress towards addressing our housing supply and affordability crisis, but there is still plenty of work to do," Sen. Skinner told her constituents.
Addressing the steep costs that hook-up fees for utilities can impose, often heaping tens of thousands onto housing prices, SB 1210 sets a cap at 1% of the housing unit's building permit value. It even offers a stretched 10-year period for payment rather than a daunting upfront sum, while also mandating that utility companies publicize their fees and give housing connections priority over other structures.
The sweeping legislative push follows a worrying trend of dwindling homeownership rates in California, particularly amongst Black and Brown communities and those aged 35 to 45. The senator pointed out, emphasizing that the gap between California's homeowner percentage and the national figures exceeds 15 points, "My package offers innovative solutions to all three of these issues and gives more folks a chance to build generational wealth," Skinner expressed, cementing her stance on broadening homeownership opportunities and fighting to keep the Californian Dream within reach for day-to-day families versus well-heeled investment firms.
