Densification does not create affordability

Re “California housing crisis finally gets bold response it needed. Thanks to Newsom, Atkins.” (Sept. 17): The editorial is uninformed. It fails to recognize that California has an affordable housing crisis, not a housing crisis. The real gaps in housing are at the lowest end. There are no provisions in Senate Bill 9 or Senate Bill 10 for producing any affordable housing to meet the needs of California’s lowincome households.

The editorial raises serious concerns about drastic changes in communities and speculative building by hedge funds and neglects to address these issues. The authors accept the bills “may disrupt and diminish the quality of life in some communities.” It’s implied that any increase in housing stock will decrease housing costs. Yet this has been disproven by a 2018 Federal Reserve study as well as actual densification in Vancouver, New York City and Seattle.

SB9 and SB10 are not panaceas for California’s affordable housing shortage. In fact, they are likely to make it worse, not better.