Here is another legacy for Guv Nuisance. He signed enough bills and new legislation to create slums from the Oregon border to the Mexican border. Want to see affordable housing twenty years later, go to The Bronx in New York or parts of San Fran—like the Pink Palace.
“All of this reminds me of similar construction which took place in San Francisco while I was growing up. The end result were congested hell holes which quickly turned into Section 8 housing infested with crime, drugs, and gang violence. Symbolized by the “Pink Palace,” these structures became a testament of government incompetence.
Eventually the Pink Palace and most other monolithic projects were torn down; but their memory lives to this day.
Reviewing the list of shovel ready units to be built almost exclusively in high density urban centers, it appears little expense has been spent on architecture. Their style is somewhere between Shoe Box Revival and Neo Lincoln Log. “
If you like slums, crime and poverty, then Gavin Newsom is your man.
Shovel Ready or Section 8 Magnets? by Richard Eber
Richard Eber, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 10/4/22
With a considerable amount of fanfare that reminds one of a barker trying to entice new clients at a strip club, Governor Newsom signed 30 bills allegedly promoting affordable housing in California.
The poster children for this ambitious program are “shovel ready” projects that are supposed to provide some 2755 new dwellings thru subsides of over one billion dollars in government assistance. Featured in this program:
- Evasion of local zoning laws.
- Insistence on union labor for construction per SB-6.
- Elimination of minimum parking requirements pressuring tenants to use public transportation.
- Little privacy for residents who would live in sardine like conditions.
All of this reminds me of similar construction which took place in San Francisco while I was growing up. The end result were congested hell holes which quickly turned into Section 8 housing infested with crime, drugs, and gang violence. Symbolized by the “Pink Palace,” these structures became a testament of government incompetence.
Eventually the Pink Palace and most other monolithic projects were torn down; but their memory lives to this day.
Reviewing the list of shovel ready units to be built almost exclusively in high density urban centers, it appears little expense has been spent on architecture. Their style is somewhere between Shoe Box Revival and Neo Lincoln Log.
Those units below 6 stories will almost all are built on factory manufactured 8 foot sections which will be assembled using Lego like technology. Even though the end product will be inferior, cutting costs will be the only way developers can make a profit.
When high rise buildings are constructed, even with government subsidies, they will be out of the reach for most middle income households.
Missing from Sacramento’s solution to meeting new housing needs are the effects that will be felt in the adjoining communities. Outside of residents of these developments lacking needed parking spaces, visitors will also be forced to encroach on existing residences. Even worse low income people living close to mass transit will likely lack the economic resources to utilize high speed trains.
The State apparently does not care about such minor inconveniences. They also don’t give a hoot about how cities will cope with increased crime, traffic congestions, additional students in k-1-12 schools, and providing enough water for new residents. Housing volume is all that matters regardless of collateral damage to the surrounding area.
To make up for these obvious deficiencies, in addition to SB-6, Governor Newsom signed 29 other bills catering to special interest groups who will benefit from additional government control of new housing. Taken as a whole, they provide ample proof of the influence lobbyists have in Sacramento. Breaking them down per the Sierra Sun Times, below are some of the new laws.
Special Interest housing exemptions AB 252 Floating home marinas: rent caps. AB 1654- Low-income housing: insurance tax: credits: farm worker housing. AB 1719– Housing: Community College Faculty and Employee Housing Act of 2022. AB 2295 Local Educational agencies: housing development projects. SB 886– California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: public universities: university housing development projects
Programs benefiting homeless and low income families: AB 1206- Property taxation: affordable housing: welfare exemption. AB 1695- by Affordable housing loan and grant programs; adaptive reuse. AB 1933- Property taxation: welfare exemption: nonprofit corporations: low-income SB 1421– California Interagency Council on Homelessness. Families. AB 1991 and hotels: publicly funded shelter programs. AB 2483-Housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. AB 2339-Housing element: emergency shelters: regional housing need.
Legislation intended to replace local zoning control with the State AB 682-Planning and zoning: density bonuses: shared housing building –AB 916 zoning: bedroom addition. AB 1551– Planning and zoning: development bonuses: mixed-use projects –AB 1837– Residential real property: foreclosure. –AB 1978 Department of Housing and Community Development: powers –AB 2006– Regulatory agreements: compliance monitoring. –AB 2031 Mobile home Residency Law: management meetings with homeowners. –AB 2234– Planning and zoning: housing: post entitlement phase permits.
While many of these new laws have positive aspects, as a whole they ignore fundamental truths that efforts in eliminating local control will result in lawsuits that will tie up most construction of new housing for years in the “Golden State”.
They continue to ignore the fact those with higher incomes do not want to share space with the poor and homeless. In addition even if environmentalist-climate change advocates wish to oppose erecting new single family homes; this does not change the fact the middle class will continue to favor raising families in this traditional habitat; once a down payment can be put down in suburbia
It is obvious states such as Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, and other regions have been more successful creating additional housing by allowing market forces to determine what is built. If nothing else this has proved heavy handed regulation by the State of California has been a dismal failure.
Socialists such as Gavin Newsom just don’t get it. They continue to see businesses and families depart high taxes, crime, poor schools, and of course unsuitable housing choices which make achieving the American Dream almost impossible to obtain in California.
There is no indication additional Progressive intervention including rent control will make any difference in the future. In reality “shovel ready” means burying the will of the people at government expense.
