_______________________________
Kathleen Ward
Mayor, City of San Clemente
ATTACHMENT 2
City Hall ● 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente CA 92673 ● (949) 361-8200 ● www.san-clemente.org Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
August 15, 2023
The Honorable Senator Janet Nguyen District Office
California State Senate District 36 301 Main Street, Suite 212 1021 O Street, Suite 7130 Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 309 (Lee) Social Housing Program
(as amended 7/13/2023)
Notice of Oppose Unless Amended
Dear Senator Nguyen:
Unless amended to address several concerns, the City of San Clemente writes to express our opposition to AB 309 (Lee). AB 309 would create the Social Housing Program within the Department of General Services (DGS) to facilitate the construction of government-owned housing on leased state property or excess state-owned property. Cities would have no ability to regulate zoning or development standards, including floor area ratios, height limitations, or density requirements.
The intent of producing more housing, especially for persons of lower income, is strongly supported by the City of San Clemente. Housing affordability and homelessness are among the most critical issues facing California cities, including San Clemente. Affordably priced homes are out of reach for many people and housing is not being constructed fast enough to meet the current or projected needs of people living in the state. Cities lay the essential groundwork for housing production by planning and zoning new projects in their communities based on extensive public input and engagement, as well as state housing laws. Importantly, cities are currently updating housing plans to identify sites for more than 2.5 million additional housing units.
AB 309 would disregard this state-mandated planning process and specifically empower DGS to make land use and zoning decisions on state excess property. If DGS can approve housing, why should cities go through the multiyear planning process to identify sites suitable for new housing units if the state can ignore those plans and build housing on sites never considered for new housing? Critical infrastructure planning for adequate water, sewer, power and other services is completely useless and the ability to provide all municipal services are jeopardized.
While AB 309 currently limits DGS authority to three housing projects on declared excess state property suitable for housing, the measure broadly establishes the Social Housing Program within DGS and could be easily expanded to include all state-owned lands. Bypassing California’s longstanding housing planning laws and local rules is not a way out of the housing crisis. That’s why CalCities continues to call on the Governor and lawmakers to annually invest $3 billion to help cities prevent and reduce homelessness and spur affordable housing development. Targeted, ongoing funding is the only way cities can find community-based solutions that produce housing at all income levels.
For these reasons, the City of San Clemente respectfully opposes AB 309, unless amended, and asks that you vote against the bill.
Sincerely,
Chris Duncan
Mayor
City of San Clemente
Cc: Connor Medina, Regional Public Affairs Manager, Cal Cities (via email) League of California Cities (Via email: HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected]) CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF INCORPORATION
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
Chris Duncan
Mayor
Steve Knoblock
Mayor Pro Tem
Victor Cabral
Mark Enmeier
Rick Loeffler
CITY MANAGER
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910 Calle Negocio
San Clemente, CA 92673
Phone: (949) 361-8200
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