As California continues to grapple with staggering housing issues, France's experience offers lessons about the kinds of housing policies and strategies that work.
France could provide a useful example of a way out of the housing crisis that California faces, writes Yonah Freemark. "How were French officials able to do something that has so far eluded California’s leaders? Local, regional, and national leaders worked together to prioritize housing growth."
Freemark points to two factors behind California’s housing problems: inadequate housing production and insufficient support for the state’s poorest residents. France is also struggling with affordable housing issues, he notes, but a slew of reforms has resulted in a significant increase in housing construction in the last few years.
France is funding affordable housing, identifying and using publicly owned land, and implementing zoning regulations that allow for small-scale infill. In addition, municipalities now have to step up rather than impede the development of affordable housing.
"National mandates require 25 percent of housing in every city to be affordable to low- and moderate-income families by 2025. Cities that don’t comply face fines and even the use of eminent domain to make room for affordable development," writes Freemark.
California could take similar steps to address housing and improve the quality of life of residents, says Freemark. "State officials, perhaps inspired by France, must act quickly to fund additional affordable housing and increase construction to make up for a decades-long deficit."
FULL STORY: How the French are fixing a housing crisis comparable to California’s
California Housing Advocates Closely Watching Bay Area Rezoning Deadline
California’s reaction to cities that fail to submit compliant zoning plans could reverberate across the state as other regions near their deadlines.
The Rise of Zoning Reform
As the housing affordability crisis spread from mainly coastal cities to the rest of the nation, cities and states are taking a serious look at outdated zoning codes that hamper efforts to build more housing.
California Attorney General Wants to Get Serious About Housing
A bill sponsored by the AG’s office would give the state’s top attorney more power to intervene in lawsuits related to the state’s housing laws.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland