New Housing Bill May Spur Valley Development

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into two law housing bills, one of which may greatly encourage residential development along transit corridors in the San Fernando Valley. Under the California Environmental Quality Act, residential projects located within half a mile of a major transit stop are exempt from the requirement for developers to complete costly and time-consuming environmental impact reports. Assembly Bill 1560 expands the definition of “major transit stop” to include bus rapid transit stations. That means developers face fewer restrictions if they build housing units along L.A. Metro’s Orange Line, which operates between Chatsworth and the North Hollywood Metro Station. Also, a North Valley Bus Rapid Transit Line and other connective projects may be built. AB 1560 faced pushback from some residents worried that development in their neighborhoods will increase, creating noise and more traffic buildups. A major proponent of the bill, though, was the Valley Industry and Commerce Association. “VICA has seen an opportunity to bring more homes to the Valley by building along transit, especially along L.A. Metro’s Orange line,” said VICA President Stuart Waldman in a statement. “AB 1560 will allow the Valley to maximize housing along bus rapid transit lines and optimize the investments we’re making in our transit system.” AB 1560 was authored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman. Newsom also passed into law Assembly Bill 1110, which extends the required notice period for tenants receiving a rent increase. Existing California law requires landlords to provide a 60-day notice for rent increases of more than 10 percent in month-to-month tenancies. Assembly Bill 1110 extends that requirement to a 90-day notice period. The bill retains the current requirement of a 30-day notice for proposed rent increases of 10 percent or less. AB 1110 was written by the city of Glendale and sponsored by Friedman. Newsom signed the bill Tuesday. “Rent increases in significant numbers and frequency can create significant financial pressure, even for the most economically fortunate households,” said Glendale Housing Authority Chair and Councilmember Vrej Agajanian in a statement. “As such, AB 1110 provides renter households with more time … to make the necessary financial adjustments to be able to stay in the unit, or to plan to vacate that unit in order to find housing elsewhere that is more affordable.”