YIMBY Action

The goal of CASA is fundamentally to get a bunch of stakeholders to get on board with a compromise compact to agree to principles that would then inform a package of bills to be introduced. It's basically a white paper that everyone says is "not exactly what I want but fine."

At every hearing, people complain that there hasn't been enough outreach or process...while they engage in the extended outreach process. It's also worth noting that this is NOT actual legislation. It is principles that would inform legislation we would then debate.

Quoting CASA: "In one of the wealthiest metropolitan areas on the planet, hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens are ill-housed or not even housed at all. Many more families are just one missed paycheck away from eviction."

"The waters in Sacramento are pretty stormy" and CHANGE IS COMING. "I view the CASA compact as a port in a storm. ...It's something to be FOR, rather than risking opposing."

Discussion about whether this is a risk to the golden calf: "Local Control" Asking a bunch of local reps to potentially do something together for the greater good and risk giving up some discretionary powers... it's a big ask.

But potentially there's a way to square the circle. Local Control can become about HOW you meet your goals, not WHETHER you meet your housing goals.

Other CASA presenter on the stakeholder process: "We brought together people who agree that there is a housing problem. ...They might not agree what the problem is. For everyone, there things that people like, and there are things that people hold their nose at."

Core belief of all stakeholders: "We can’t solve this problem jurisdiction by jurisdiction or group by group."

"We've got something wrong with our strategy. Whether it's fixed in Sacramento or it's fixed here, we have to change it."

"We have a housing crisis and we need to do more." Lots of talk about Governor @GavinNewsom's big housing announcements. "[@GavinNewsom] says he wants a Marshall Plan for housing. ...Some [of his proposals] are more bold than what we have in our compact."

Some dissatisfaction that there isn't enough focus on homelessness. (It's a bit unfair to say something that talks about funding for Affordable Housing isn't also about homelessness. But it could have used more focus.)

CASA reps saying that they need another big CASA-like process for homelessness, especially concerning services. Some talk about how homelessness is also addressed with housing, especially supportive housing with wrap-around services.

Read the (quite well written, especially for a government document) CASA Compact for yourself! https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/CASA_Compact.pdf …

ABAG rep talks about how a local government may have acquired local land and didn't want to put land there, and instead wanted to have their "jobs more spread out." CASA rep says a lot but basically: "The purpose of this is to produce more housing in the Bay Area..."

Shoutout to the Governor's plan to have an inventory of excess government land assessed for suitability for housing. One of the biggest ways we can subsidize Affordable Housing or build public housing is by using government-owned land.

"The individual bills will be coming back before this board, and you will be able to take action." In other words, don't worry y'all, you'll have plenty of time to pick this apart and point out which things you hate.

Suburban rep concerned about traffic, asks "When are we going to credit for the Affordable Housing we're building?" Someone in the crowd mutters, "When you build it."

Other live tweeters:https://twitter.com/Bobakkabob37/status/1086100132452397056 …

Talk about how when housing production doesn't meet need at higher income, they go for housing that otherwise go to moderate income, pushing people out. Displacement pressure on moderate and lower income. "Eventually you get to a place where people don't have anywhere to go."

Talk about how housing does not necessarily pay for itself. This is a big problem with out tax structure: cities and towns have an incentive often to reject housing and instead push more jobs growth because it helps their bottom line. This perverse incentive must change.

First speaker is an older man from Marin and tells us he's a landlord. The room collectively holds their breath... and then he is AWESOME. "The median income in Marin is 138k and rising... We have a drought of workforce housing."

"To take no action tonight is to endorse the status quo. And the status quo is not acceptable." Tenant tells horrific story about living in an illegal unit that flooded regularly, and his landlord who knew he could do nothing.