Thread by @alfred_twu

2020 California Housing Legislation Part 2: Relief & Recovery. A look at state bills that to strengthen tenant & homeowner protections, and get small construction projects shovel-ready to create jobs. medium.com/@firstcultural… 1/

First up is @PhilTing's #AB828 - a pause on foreclosures, unpaid tax auctions, & evictions; also allows courts to reduce rents by 25% for tenants that lost income. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billText… 2/

#AB828 is opposed by CA Apartment Association, supported by @cayimby. Tenant groups still evaluating, issue is what happens to rent owed after the pause is over. Some call for stronger policy like Oakland, where tenants can't be evicted for unpaid rent from the covid19 months. 3/

Longer term relief include:
#AB2272, right to legal representation
#RentalAffordabilityAct, allows cities to expand rent control
#SB999, #AB2690, #AB2895, rent limits for mobile home residents
#AB2774, limiting late fees
#AB3077, stopping Ellis Act evictions 4/

More relief bills:
#AB3352, shorter wait before tenants can fix home & deduct from rent
#SB1190, allow crime victims right to break lease
#AB2586, safe parking for RVs
#SB1079, allows cities to seize vacant homes owned by corporations & use for low income housing
5/

While most of the relief bills are for tenants, there's also one for homeowners: #AB2463. This bill from East Bay assembly member @BuffyWicks stops banks from forcing homeowners to sell their home to pay back unsecured consumer debt such as credit card or medical debt. 6/

The East Bay Community Law Center @EBCLCNews
recently released a report on the problem that #AB2463 seeks to solve. ebclc.org/wp-content/upl… Passing this bill will help prevent a repeat of the 2008 foreclosure crisis. 7/

Recovery: as the virus is contained, business will reopen in phases. Lower-risk workplaces such as offices, factories, & construction can start up earlier, while restaurants, services, & events won't be fully back until a vaccine is available. How can we create jobs? 8/

Construction jobs program should focus on renovations & small buildings, which don't need as much specialized labor.
#AB2580 allows hotels to become permanent homes
#SB906 allows commercial/industrial buildings to be used as homes
#AB3107 allows homes in commercial zones 9/

For small projects:
#SB902 allows 4plexes
#AB3153 allows bike parking to count toward parking requirement
#AB2666 allows land to be subdivided
#AB2470 allows apartments to be subdivided
#SB1085 & #AB2345 modify the Affordable Housing Density Bonus to work for small buildings. 10/

There are also a series of bills to make it cheaper and easier to build Accessory Dwelling Units, aka backyard cottages and in-law apartments. #SB592, #AB953, #AB69, #Sb773, #AB2044, as well as 3 bills to speed up the permit process: #AB3155, #AB3156, and #SB1410. 11/

Some clarification on #AB3077. It limits some but not all Ellis Act evictions.

https://twitter.com/aughtnom/status/1251736543124795392