Terry Pristin looks at the fallout from the dissolution of California's redevelopment agencies and asks what will come of the hundreds of projects in various stages of completion.
After the shuttering of the state's 397 community redevelopment agencies was made official on Feb. 1 of this year, local officials began the arduous task of "sifting through billions of dollars' worth of projects to determine which ones qualify as enforceable obligations entered into before June 29, 2011, the date the legislation was signed into law."
According to Pristin, "Of greatest immediate concern is how dissolution will affect the development of housing for people with low and moderate incomes. Since 1979, 20 percent of the property taxes diverted to the agencies had been set aside for this purpose."
With the tentacles of the decades-old redevelopment system reaching wide and deep into California's urban development efforts, the long-term effects of unwinding their obligations are far from clear.
FULL STORY: An Uncertain Fate for Urban Projects in California
Could Los Angeles Have Made Better Use of Former Redevelopment Funds?
After a state decision to abolish California's redevelopment agencies seven years ago, Los Angeles still received some of that money, directing it to city services instead of affordable housing.
The End of Redevelopment Worsened California's Housing Crisis
Anthony York performs an autopsy of how decisions made by Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature during the Great Recession are influencing the housing market, nearly a decade later.
Two Housing Bills Will Exacerbate California's Housing Shortage
SB 35 (Wiener) and AB 199 (Chu) make it more costly to build housing by requiring prevailing wages where applicable, pleasing construction unions but making affordable housing less affordable, opines CALmatters political columnist, Dan Walters.
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San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
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Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)