The Bay Area
Transportation and Land Use Coalition is committed to creating
an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable Bay
Area. We know the Bay Area needs housing that meets the present
and future needs of the workforce, and we are especially
concerned about the provision of affordable housing. We believe
all new housing should be accommodated through compact, infill
development sites on land close to job centers and transit
nodes. The Association of Bay Area Government's Fair Share
Housing distribution process provides a key opportunity for our
region to address these needs.
The Coalition Supports Critically Needed Housing
After a decade, the State of California has again initiated its
housing needs determination process, devised to address the need
for and planning of housing serving a range of affordability and
in all communities throughout the state. According to the State,
there will be a regional need of 230,743 households seeking
housing in the nine Bay Area counties over the seven and a
half-year period from 1999-2006. Of this amount, at least 42%,
or 97,578 units, are needed for moderate, low, and very
low-income households. Based on this needs assessment, the
Association of Bay Area Governments has determined the amount of
housing each Bay Area jurisdiction must incorporate in their
General Plan Housing Element in order to meet the region's
housing needs.
In June 2000, ABAG's housing allocation was revised to place
more housing in job producing areas and to encourage
city-centered growth throughout the region. The Coalition
supports this step toward smarter growth - translating into
reduced suburban sprawl and increased transit-oriented
development. We also believe that the number of housing units
identified by ABAG for very low, low and moderate-income
households is a critical step toward addressing the need for
affordable housing, which is at an all-time high in the Bay
Area.
Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts of the Housing
Crisis
A recent study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition
shows that the San Francisco Bay Area is the least affordable
area of the nation. The greatest housing gap is for low and
moderate-income households - cashiers, teachers, bus drivers -
who cannot afford to live and work in the same community. A
minimum wage worker would need to work 106 hours per week to
afford the average Bay Area two-bedroom apartment. Seeking more
affordable housing, residents are moving farther and farther out
of the core cities - from San Jose to Gilroy, from San Francisco
to Santa Rosa, from Oakland to Tracy. In these outlying areas,
the dominant land use pattern is low-density, single-use
development - a threat to the environment because it encroaches
on agricultural land and open space, and because it forces
reliance on driving to meet all daily needs. Car pollution is
the central reason that the Bay Area has been out of compliance
with federal clean air status for ozone since 1998.
Dispersed housing development encourages a similar pattern of
dispersed job development. An increased investment in public
transit could provide more connections among jobs and housing,
but there is no practical way for public transit to serve the
majority of local and long-distance trips created by suburban
sprawl. Thus, drivers suffer nightmarish commutes and reduced
time with their families. These same transportation problems
pose a significant barrier to employment for low-income Bay Area
residents. Finally, Bay Area businesses struggle to attract and
retain a workforce without sufficient housing.
8 Actions for Housing
The Coalition urges all Bay Area cities to provide enough
housing to meet the needs of moderate, low, and very low income
residents of the Bay Area. This housing should be created in
existing urban areas and should be compact, transit-oriented,
and pedestrian-friendly. We strongly urge the following 8
actions:
1. Identify land for redevelopment and reuse, including
brownfields and other vacant sites.
2. Re-zone for higher density on transit corridors.
3. Encourage second units and density bonuses.
4. Establish urban growth boundaries.
5. Institute inclusionary zoning, a policy requiring that
a percentage of every new housing development is affordably
priced.
6. Create urban land trusts, in which land is purchased
and preserved for permanent affordability.
7. Fast-track affordable housing by simplifying the
permit and approvals process.
8. Enforce the requirement to set aside 20% of
redevelopment funds for affordable housing.
For more strategies, please read Blueprint 2000 for Bay Area
Housing. To order a copy, contact the Association of Bay Area
Governments at (510) 464-7000.
last updated 3/16/01 |
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