Big Win: AB 2011 passes in California!

Celebrating NAHREP familia, cultura, politics, and grassroots action

October, 2022

Speaking of zoning, in California, the governor recently signed a critical housing bill, AB 2011, “The Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act”. NAHREP, alongside other housing advocacy organizations across the state, supported this bill because of its potential to spur millions of affordable homes. AB 2011 allows for affordable housing development on commercially-zoned areas if it meets the affordability, labor, and environmental standards. There are thousands of unused, underutilized commercial areas (including parking, retail, or office spaces) across the state that can now be used to build housing, including those specifically for homeownership.  In fact, one analysis found that this bill could create up to 2.4 million homes in California, and almost 20 percent of these could be for-sale townhomes. The production of for-sale homes will increase California’s housing supply and allow for more homeownership opportunities.

Y ahora que? Well, this bill is a great example of how coalition building can encourage the passing of important legislation. NAHREP is part of the California Home Building Alliance (HBA), an informal housing advocacy coalition that is made up of non-profit and for-profit home builders, trade associations, developers, and housing advocacy organizations that is dedicated to increasing housing supply across California. As we mentioned in an earlier blog post, coalition building is essential to passing policy. Legislation is never passed alone – it is important to exchange ideas, leverage the power of local organizations, and advocate together for a shared vision. As you do your own advocacy work, be sure to work with other housing organizations in your area.

This isn’t the first housing win in California that could serve as an example of what can be done in other states. Last year, California passed SB 9 and 10, which legalized duplexes and lot splitting on single-family lots and removed red tape for cities that wanted to allow for smaller, lower-cost housing developments. What housing bills are coming down the pipeline in your state? Share your wins with us! Or, bring this to your elected officials and encourage them to do something similar in your state.