This week in affordable housing news…:

State update:

• Governor Newsom highlighted his ongoing commitment to affordable housing in his annual State of the State address this week, noting a range of emergency actions taken by the state over the last year to keep people safely in their homes. “I’m mindful that we aren’t truly addressing the needs of people in poverty unless we account for the biggest pressure most families face: housing and housing stability,” the governor said in his address from Dodger Stadium, ticking off a list of accomplishments: “We crafted the strongest eviction controls in the nation, protecting millions of renters from losing their homes in the midst of this pandemic. And we provided a framework for billions of dollars in rental support for struggling landlords. All while remaining laser focused on the most severe part of the housing crisis: homelessness, a crisis pre-dating the pandemic.”

• The Fresno Bee busted seven big myths about affordable housing in a story this week—fact-checking some of the most common arguments made against new affordable developments, from housing’s impact on “neighborhood character” to how new developments impact parking, traffic, and property values. “Most opposition to affordable housing is driven by a host of common myths and misconceptions that have seeped into our collective consciousness,” writes the Bee. “Correcting them may help neighbors feel more receptive.”

• Top housing officials from the nation’s two biggest cities—Los Angeles and New York—will share what they’ve learned about protecting affordable housing during the pandemic in a March 18^th webinar hosted by Citi Community Capital. Ann Sewill, CHC boardmember and General Manager of the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department, will be joined by Louise Carroll, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation, in a discussion about how their cities have weathered the year of COVID-19—and what they are doing to produce more affordable housing. RSVP here.

Federal update:

• President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package into law this week—allowing the first round of $1,400-per-person stimulus payments to go out as soon as this weekend.  “This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” the president said during the bill signing. The final bill also includes an extension of $300-per-week unemployment benefits along with nearly $50 billion in housing and homelessness assistance, including $27.4 billion in rental assistance.

• The Senate confirmed Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with a bipartisan 66-34 vote. Fudge will be the first woman to hold the position since 1979, according to The Hill, and the second Black woman and the third woman ever to lead the department.

• In a prime-time address on Thursday, President Biden outlined a new plan directing states to allow all adults to be eligible to receive coronavirus vaccines by May 1. The president also set a goal of July 4 as the date when he hopes people can gather in small groups once again, provided people continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing this spring. “After this long hard year, that will make this Independence Day something truly special,” the president said, “where we not only mark our independence as a nation but begin to mark our independence from this virus.”

ICYMI – Top news stories:

Too many San Diegans still live on the streets or in shelters. We all need to do more to help.
Oped – Rick Gentry, San Diego Housing Commission
Many opportunities and challenges in the ongoing efforts to address homelessness in the city of San Diego will arise in the months and years ahead. The unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic reinforces that the future is unpredictable. However, the types of innovative, collaborative solutions that already have demonstrated success exemplify the approach upon which future initiatives can be built and expanded. These accomplishments are encouraging signs for the hard work that remains to be done. The individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the city are diverse in their life experiences and their needs to return to stable, long-term housing. This requires a variety of housing options.

Is this the end of single-family zoning in the Bay Area?
San Jose Mercury News
A small, city-by-city planning revolution is underway in the Bay Area, potentially transforming residential neighborhoods across the region. More than 80 percent of residential property in the Bay Area is zoned exclusively for single-family homes, but recent efforts by leaders in Berkeley, San Jose and other cities are challenging restrictions that prevent small apartments in suburban subdivisions and on many city blocks. The growing movement is startling, given a statewide approach to the problem failed last year. Now “it feels a little bit of an arms race” among cities to reform housing policy, said UC Berkeley housing researcher David Garcia.

CEQA is an abomination
The Atlantic
CEQA has emerged as an unexpected impediment to California’s going green. Across the Golden State, CEQA lawsuits have imperiled infill housing in Sacramento, solar farms in San Diego, and transit in San Francisco. The mere threat of a lawsuit is enough to stop small projects—especially housing—from starting in the first place. Indeed, one of the main effects of CEQA has been to exacerbate the state’s crippling housing-affordability crisis. How did such a conservative institution take root in one of America’s most progressive states? And what can California leaders do to get environmental review out of the way of saving the environment?