L.A. tenant groups oppose bill to boost housing

SACRAMENTO — A coalition of 37 low-income housing and tenant groups in Los Angeles is opposing state legislation that could dramatically increase new housing around transit.

Senate Bill 827 from Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would eliminate most local zoning restrictions within half a mile of rail and major bus stops across the state, allowing for new buildings that would be a minimum of four to eight stories tall. He argues that the bill is needed to address both the state’s housing shortage and environmental goals.

The tenant advocacy groups say the legislation would exacerbate the displacement of low-income Californians from neighborhoods surrounding transit.

“If SB 827 passes, we stand to lose out on tens of thousands of affordable homes near transit and we are putting families who depend on rent stabilization at greater risk of displacement at a time of severe housing and homelessness crises,” Alliance for Community Transit Los Angeles and the other groups wrote in a Feb. 12 letter to Wiener.

SB 827 is the highest-profile housing bill introduced so far this year, and it has provoked strong responses on both sides. More than 120 top technology executives, including leaders at Reddit, Salesforce, Twitter and Lyft, have endorsed the bill, saying they need more housing to hire and retain their workforce. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo also has announced his support, as have some environmentalists who contend it’s necessary to meet the state’s climate change goals by encouraging transit-oriented development.

The coalition against the bill is equally as diverse. Sierra Club California has argued the legislation would make it harder to build new transit. Council members from wealthy cities across the state also have been pointed in their criticism. John Mirisch, a Beverly Hills city councilman, has said the bill reaches too far into local control over development.