Creativity in Solving the Housing Crisis

There are few issues in our state as challenging as the housing crisis. Recently, we have seen hundreds of bills on housing introduced in the legislature. Some of the most talked about measures have included broad, sweeping proposals such as increased funding for subsidized housing and adjustments to local zoning control. Discussions about the most comprehensive and controversial bills have taken up considerable bandwidth in the Capitol. I believe it is important to have those tough conversations so that we can decide what is truly best for all Californians. But I also believe it is just as important that we consider smaller, smarter and more efficient solutions so that we can start making impacts in our communities immediately.

It is in this spirit that I have introduced a series of bills this session to take advantage of an underutilized tool in fighting housing scarcity – the accessory dwelling unit.

An accessory dwelling unit, called an “ADU” or sometimes a “granny flat,” is a secondary unit built on a single-family residential lot. They have been identified as an important component in solving our housing crisis. ADUs provide a way to allow for infill while keeping the rights of homeowners and the character of neighborhoods intact. My bills will improve the ability of organizations, localities and homeowners to add ADUs to their community.

My first bill, AB 587, was proposed by Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is a trusted local partner that has been working tirelessly for years to provide homeownership for low-income families. When representatives from Habitat came to my office in January and explained that state law was preventing them from providing more housing, I knew there was something that could be done about it. My AB 587 will create a much-needed exemption for affordable housing organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, to sell deed-restricted land to eligible low-income homeowners. Fortunately, this bill has already passed the assembly floor with strong bipartisan support, and will now make its way through the state senate.

But it is not just affordable housing organizations that can help solve the housing crisis. If given the right tools, homeowners and local governments could make a significant impact. Taking inspiration from ordinances passed by cities such as Pasadena and Santa Rosa, I authored AB 671. This bill will require localities to provide incentive programs to homeowners for renting out their ADUs to very low or low-income people. Such ordinances have already seen great success in communities throughout California. My bill would capitalize on this proven, common sense approach by requiring localities throughout the state to include in their plans an element to incentivize and promote the creation of affordable ADUs through partnerships with single-family homeowners. In this scenario, everyone benefits: communities get affordable housing for a fraction of what building a new apartment unit costs, homeowners get to increase their own property value and low-income community members, such as seniors and students, have more affordable rental availability. The bill also requires the state to develop a list of existing grants and financial incentives available to localities for this purpose.

My third proposal, one that local governments have been trying to pass for a long time, would help many of California’s homeowners who are currently forbidden from adding an ADU on their own property. Nearly 40% of all Californians reside in homeowner associations; unfortunately, many of these HOAs needlessly prevent otherwise eligible homeowners from adding an otherwise lawful ADU. Should AB 670 pass, it would allow HOAs to continue to place reasonable restrictions on ADUs, while allowing more properties to add them. This could potentially bring a large amount of housing online in a way that isn’t disruptive to communities.

In the last decade, less than half of the housing we needed was built. Housing is an issue we need to address as soon as possible; but I also believe that it is one that needs to be handled with care. We need to be creative and look for innovative strategies that keep everyone involved at the table, and I believe ADUs are a great option that allows us to do just that.

What do you think of my ADU legislation? Do you have any thoughts or ideas on how to help bring online the housing we need? As always, I would love to hear from you. You can reach out to me by phone at (818) 558-3043 or by email at Assemblymember.Friedman@Assembly.ca.gov.

Laura Friedman represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake. 

  laura friedman