03/29/2024

Controversial Bay Area Housing Plan Heads to State Legislature

The CASA Compact includes proposals aimed at both spurring new housing construction and protecting existing tenants.

Developers would be able to tap into streamlined approvals and tax incentives for more housing projects, and minimum zoning standards would be established around transit stops to increase density.

Under the plan, vulnerable tenants would be aided by a supply of emergency cash and legal assistance, as well as the establishment of a regionwide rent cap and protections against certain kinds of evictions.

Some of the plan’s less controversial proposals push for greater transparency around impact fees charged to developers and encourage the use of surplus public properties for affordable housing.

To raise money for the proposals, the compact suggests the creation of a new Bay Area housing agency, led by elected officials but also including developers and tenant activists, which would levy regional taxes and distribute funds.

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