June 24, 2025
The Honorable Aisha Wahab The Honorable Maria Durazo Chair, State Senate Committee on Housing Chair, State Senate Committee on Local Government 1020 N Street, Room 8530 1020 N Street, Room 7530
Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 893 (Fong) Housing Development Projects: Objective Standards: Campus Development Zone.
Notice of OPPOSE (As of 2/19/25)
Dear Senators Wahab and Durazo,
The City of San Marcos writes to express our oppose unless amended position on AB 893 (Fong), which would require a city to ministerially approve, without discretionary review or a hearing, student and faculty and staff housing on nearly all real property within a one-mile radius of a main campus of any postsecondary education institution in California.
On any given day, newspaper headlines in California and across the nation are highlighting the state’s growing housing supply and affordability crisis. Seven in ten Californians view housing affordability as one of the top problems in their community, and there is growing concern from residents that housing prices are so expensive, younger generations will be priced out of ever being able to buy a home.
City officials intimately understand this crisis as it plays out in their communities every day. Local leaders are working to find creative solutions to spur more housing construction at all income levels. In fact, cities are currently planning and zoning for 2.5 million additional homes statewide.
Unfortunately, AB 893 would disregard this state mandated planning process and instead force cities to ministerially approve, without discretionary review or a hearing, student and faculty and staff housing on nearly all parcels within one mile, of a university campus, regardless of the existing zoning or local conditions.
California cannot by-right its way out of the housing crisis. That is why San Marcos is calling on the Governor and lawmakers to include an annual investment in the state budget to help cities prevent and reduce homelessness and spur housing development, including housing for students and faculty and staff.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 Marcos respectfully opposes AB 893.
Sincerely,
Rebecca D. Jones
Mayor
cc: League of California Cities
2 City Council
[email protected]