May 14, 2024
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Member, California State Assembly
1021 O St, Room 8140
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 1893 (Wicks) Housing Accountability Act: housing disapprovals - OPPOSE
Dear Assemblymember Wicks,
The City of San Marcos regretfully must take an oppose unless amended position on your measure AB 1893, which would place guardrails on “builder’s remedy” projects; reduce affordable housing minimums; and prohibit local jurisdictions from denying certain housing developments even if they are meeting or exceeding state allocated housing goals.
Cal Cities appreciates your desire to limit the application of “builder’s remedy” projects by restricting where these projects can occur, limiting density, and allowing the use of objective development standards in some circumstances. However, we strongly believe less focus should be on what happens if a city does not adopt a housing element that substantially complies with the law, and more time and attention should be focused on how the state can partner with cities and ensure that all jurisdictions come into compliance.
Cities have worked diligently with the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to draft housing plans that accommodate their fair share of housing at all income levels. These complex plans can take years to develop and involve extensive feedback from HCD. This feedback often lacks clear direction regarding actions needed for a city to come into compliance.
It is important to note that AB 1893 would also eliminate the ability of cities to reject certain housing developments when they met or exceeded their state allocated RHNA goals. This essentially moves the housing goalpost, thus requiring a city to approve an unlimited amount of housing, possibly far beyond their mandated fair share.
For these reasons, the City of San Marcos must oppose AB 1893.
Sincerely,
Rebecca D. Jones
Mayor
CC: The Honorable Buffy Wicks
League of California Cities, [email protected]
2 City Council
[email protected]