Politics & Government

Why Is Alameda Making Plans To Add More Housing?

Some residents are unhappy that more housing is planned. Here is the City's response.

Bea Karnes, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

Press release from the City of Alameda:

The City of Alameda is planning for more housing because we are facing a crisis. There are Alamedans sleeping outside, in parks, and in tents. There are Alameda Unified School District students who live with their family in cars. There are older adults living on Alameda’s streets. The cost of housing in Alameda is preventing Alameda’s younger generation from staying in Alameda. Lastly, there is one more reason the City Council must plan for more housing: they are required to by State law.

Some argue that the Alameda City Council should avoid their responsibility to comply with State law. What they fail to tell you is that there are consequences for cities that choose to ignore State law:

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  • If Alameda fails to adopt a compliant Housing Element, Alameda should be prepared to be ineligible for State grants and loans for park projects, transportation improvements, and infrastructure improvements. Alameda depends on these state funds. Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, for example, was constructed with State funds.
  • If Alameda fails to adopt a compliant Housing Element, it should be prepared to be sued by housing advocacy groups or the State of California. The State of California just added additional enforcement authority and resources, including authority to file lawsuits against any city that ignores State law. If Alameda is in violation of State housing law, the City may be fined between $10,000 and $600,000 per month, until the City Council adopts a compliant Housing Element.
  • If Alameda is in violation of State housing law, Alameda should be prepared to lose its ability to regulate land use or issue building permits (which is a power that is granted to the City by the State). Under State law, the State will decide what to approve and any housing project with 20% of the units for lower income households will be approved even if the project does not comply with Alameda height, zoning, or general plan standards.

    • Written by: Andrew Thomas, Planning Building and Transportation Director for the City of Alameda

    This press release was produced by the City of Alameda. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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