California Legislature 2022 Watch: Some good bills, and some not so good

As we head into the close of the 2022 California Legislative session, bills are passing that could help our community, and some that could hurt it.

Here’s a round-up of the bills we’re watching:

Conversion of commercial zones to housing. Senate Bill 6; Caballero. This bill allows a housing development project on a parcel that is within a zone where office, retail, or parking are principally permitted uses. The site cannot be adjacent to an industrial or agricultural use. The density for a housing development under these provisions must meet or exceed the density to accommodate housing for lower income households, including a density of at least 20 units per acre for a suburban jurisdiction. The development must meet all other local requirements, other than those that prohibit residential use, or allow residential use at a lower density than required by the bill. Development is subject to the local zoning, parking, design, and other ordinances, local code requirements, and procedures applicable to the processing and permitting of a housing development.

Why it could be good:

The state’s recent Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is nearly 10 times what it was previously, giving California cities and counties major shock. The state requires municipalities to allow building of housing to quotas set by the state. The city of Santa Barbara was assigned 8,000 units for this next cycle. The county’s breakdown:

Notice how poorly we’re doing in the low/very low-income categories. By contrast, we seem to be able to build housing for above moderate income, especially in north county.

Many people work in Montecito, but don’t live here. Many of those folks are in service-sector jobs that pay lower wages. They need a place to live. Thus, the need to provide affordable housing. While we disagree with the state’s ridiculously high numbers, we realize that we need to look to build affordable housing in places in the county where housing isn’t today. Commercial buildings and under-utilized parking lots could provide locations for new, high-density housing targeted to lower-income residents.

This bill is highly likely to pass, having cleared the Senate. It’s now in the Assembly.

AB1991 – Conversion of hotels to housing; Assemblymember Gabriel. You can’t stay in a hotel/motel for more than 30 days presently. If you do, the site loses its ‘transient’ status, and that’s a problem. We shelter some Hands Across Montecito clients in hotels for a period of time. When 30 days is up, they have to check out, and re-check-in, to not jeopardize the hotel’s transient occupancy status. This bill allows hotels and motels to continue occupancy for those experiencing homelessness who are sheltering under the care of a program like Hands Across Montecito.

SB1338 – CARE Court. After personally helping clear encampments, Governor Newsom saw the same thing Hands Across Montecito team members did: some people are in dire need of mental health support, and won’t accept help or services. The state laws require that they present a danger to themselves or others before they can be forced to accept mental health treatment, and even that is very limited. For everyone that’s worried about the lady that is always at Starbucks and the Chevron station, this is the bill we’ve long needed so as to get her some very much needed help. It’s cleared the Senate, now in the Assembly. CARE stands for Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, and would use courts to help compel treatment, housing, and supportive services to Californians with complex behavioral health care needs so they can stabilize and find a path to wellness and recovery. This could be a game-changer, positively, for people experiencing severe mental health struggles that are caught in the criminal justice system and/or experiencing homelessness.

AB2283 – Friedman. Will require that projects to alleviate freeway congestion, like the 101 expansion, fit into a corridor’s multi-modal transportation plan. This bill could possibly have prevented the 101 expansion project in Montecito from obtaining funding, had it been passed earlier. This takes effect January 1, 2024. It’s in the Senate now.

Bills that died:

AB1775 – Levine. Home Hardening and Insurance. We’re sorry to see this one die. It would have helped a lot of Montecitans with homeowner’s insurance.

AB1771 – Ward. Anti-Speculation in Housing Act. Would have helped cool speculative forces in California housing markets.

AB1910 – Conversion of publicly owned golf courses to affordable housing.

AB2237 – Would force the California Transportation Commission, that allocates freeway funding like the 101 expansion, to only fund projects that fit into a community’s sustainability plans.

The California Legislature’s last day of the 2022 session is August 31.  

Sharon Byrne is the Executive Director of the Montecito Association