In another desperate bid to avoid rezoning for affordable housing, some Bay Area towns are pushing housing for developmentally disabled adults as an alternative—but the proposals are likely illegal, disability rights advocates say.

The San Francisco Bay Area’s creativity knows no bounds—when it comes to finding new ways to skirt California housing production quotas. In Hillsborough, one resident proposed a novel loophole: “build a segregated development specifically for developmentally disabled adults, thus preventing a potential influx of other unwanted ‘low-income’ neighbors.” Alex Shultz and Eric Ting report on the story for SFGate.
Hillsborough, which is required by the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) to permit zoning for 554 additional units by 2031, is just one of many wealthy enclaves to resist RHNA mandates to make more housing available for “very low-income” households.
For the resident who made the proposal, housing for developmentally disabled people is far preferable to housing for low-income families because he sees it as less of a disruption to the community. A councilmember from nearby Woodside, who last year suggested that his town should designate itself as a mountain lion habitat to avoid building new housing, quickly made a comparable proposal in his town. A Portola Valley councilmember offered similar reasoning. “It will not have much impact on the surrounding community because they are very quiet, crime-free, they generate almost no traffic because almost none of them drive, and they are closely supervised 24/7,” he said, implying that low-income households would not be any of those things.
Navneet Grewal, an attorney at Disability Rights California, says that while more affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities is needed, “we believe that the housing needs to be integrated.” Grewal added, “We’re opposed to just creating more institutions. There needs to be a mix of incomes and types of units offered.” Moreover, segregating a group of people in an institutional setting can have legal implications. According to Grewal, “Anytime you restrict housing to just one type of person you risk violating numerous federal and state housing laws.”
FULL STORY: Rich Bay Area towns mull 'disturbing' scheme to dodge low-income housing

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

Portland Council Tentatively Approves Sidewalk Repair Plan
The proposal would address sidewalk needs in Portland’s District 1 and District 4.

Expanding Access to Design Education at Honolulu Community College
Honolulu Community College’s Architecture, Engineering & Construction Technologies program highlights the role of community colleges in preparing nontraditional students for careers in architectural and construction technologies.

Integrating Human Rights Into Energy and Extractive Sector Transitions
Why just transition efforts must move beyond economic considerations by embedding human rights principles into business practices to ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable outcomes for affected communities and workers.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions