Live data from Hacker News

California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

latimes.com

1–10 of 213 posts

Re: California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

#3
"...and rules that compel developers to meet labor and environmental standards that often exceed what’s required for luxury condominiums."

It's not just rules. Funding is competitive, and if you want a competitive bid you need to promise the world. Parking, green technologies, accessibility, community space, lots of amenities for residents, landscaping, not to mention the cost of ongoing compliance.

"Another is California’s labyrinthine financing process, which forces developers to navigate a dozen different funding programs controlled by five separate departments with authority divided between the governor and state treasurer."

Having worked in the industry for 10 years, I'd say this is an understatement. There's also federal, local and county regulations in addition to the multi-tentacled state system.

Re: California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

#4
The bullshit and nimbyism in California is truly breathtaking.

  That happened in the wealthy San Diego County enclave of Solana Beach, where the Pearl was cut from 18 apartments to 10 and its approval required an underground garage with 53 parking spots.

Re: California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

#7
post #5

> Pearl was cut from 18 apartments to 10 and its approval required an underground garage with 53 parking spots. How did it ever get here? Requiring more than 2 parking spots per apartment is insane.... especially for "affordable housing".

Low-income families often pack many people into a small apartment, so it's not unrealistic for one apartment to need 3 parking spots for two working parents and a working child, just as an example.

I lived in a household like that growing up

Re: California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

#8
post #5

> Pearl was cut from 18 apartments to 10 and its approval required an underground garage with 53 parking spots. How did it ever get here? Requiring more than 2 parking spots per apartment is insane.... especially for "affordable housing".

Low-income families often pack many people into a small apartment, so it's not unrealistic for one apartment to need 3 parking spots for two working parents and a working child, just as an example. I lived in a household like that growing up

OR decent mass transit. But forget that in California.

Re: California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

#9
post #5

> Pearl was cut from 18 apartments to 10 and its approval required an underground garage with 53 parking spots. How did it ever get here? Requiring more than 2 parking spots per apartment is insane.... especially for "affordable housing".

Low-income families often pack many people into a small apartment, so it's not unrealistic for one apartment to need 3 parking spots for two working parents and a working child, just as an example. I lived in a household like that growing up

3 is still reasonable. They went to 5.3 parking spots per apartment.

Re: California affordable housing is more expensive than luxury housing

#10
post #6

Amongst the various human rights, the right to build a house should be fundamental, but somehow it was lost to political forces.

Housing seems to me to be one of the most government-planned markets due to the strict zoning laws, but I've only seen fairly lefty orgs advocating for relaxed regulation. I'm surprised there isn't more movement from libertarians along the lines that property owners should have more rights for what they can build on their land.
Post reply on HN