By Liz Amsden : citywatchla – excerpt

HOUSING WATCH – For as long as California has been a state, local governments have decided where housing will and won’t go and how much to allow.

Last year, despite opposition from multiple interests around the state, after rejection after rejection of similar bills over the years, SB 9 and SB10 were ramrodded through the California legislature by Scott Weiner and President pro tempore Toni Atkins.

The supporters of these bills argued they would alleviate the housing crisis in California by rezoning single family properties to allow multiple units and allowing developers to thumb their noses at CEQA requirements.

The Los Angeles City Council opposed Senate Bills 9 and 10 but Governor Gavin signed these into law last September and eviscerated most neighborhoods’ ability to stand up against the overwhelming power of developers. 

Turning local planning decisions over to developers does not mean more affordable housing, it means more profit for developers.

With the relaxing of existing regulations, they are free not to create the affordable housing Los Angeles desperately needs but to further drive up the value of property in the City by purchasing single family lots, already out of reach of many Angelenos, and replacing one home with three or four units, destroying trees, paving over lawns and increasing demands on our already fragile infrastructure...(more)