The Bay Area is more racially segregated today than it was in 1970. Among the many destructive problems with residential segregation, one is that it helps governments create major imbalances in where they invest resources.
Broadly speaking, governments tend to invest more in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. As a result, you often see more parks, schools and clean air in those areas. Meanwhile, governments tend to invest much less in predominantly Black, indigenous and Latinx neighborhoods. Residents of color have seen the problem worsening over time and are not surprised that Bay Area suburbs are increasingly segregated along racial and economic lines. The skyrocketing prices of homes in the suburbs during the pandemic are part of that disturbing trend.
Last month, the Association of Bay Area Governments nudged the region closer to the inclusive and prosperous place it claims to be. It adopted a draft regional plan that requires more affordability in the suburbs than it ever has before. The plan is called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. It is a state-mandated planning process where regional agencies tell their cities and counties how much new housing, and at which income levels, they must plan for over an eight-year period. It is worth noting that this process does not tell cities precisely where they must put new housing. Therefore, it is incumbent upon cities to break the historical trend of trying to squeeze as much new housing into poorer, less-white neighborhoods, and instead distribute it equitably across the whole of the city.
The pressures are mounting and it is long overdue for cities to redress their zoning practices. Bay Area cities and counties were expecting to see higher housing targets this time compared to previous rounds. In June 2020, the state found that the Bay Area’s total housing target for 2023-2031 is more than double the target from last time. One major reason for this large increase is that the new target includes the thousands of homes the Bay Area failed to plan for in previous rounds. Now, all of our cities and counties have an urgent duty to pull their weight.
The new legal duty to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing adds another weight to the scale. It requires regional and local housing plans to actively increase fair housing choice for everyone, no matter their race, gender or other protected characteristic. Fair housing choice exists when households “have the information, opportunity and options to live where they choose without unlawful discrimination and other barriers related to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin or disability.”
Recommended for you
On the Peninsula, fair housing choice means having more affordable options in suburbs like San Bruno and San Mateo. These cities are known for having high-quality resources but few homes affordable to predominantly Black and brown low-income families. Only the wealthiest, who are disproportionately white, can benefit from these resources.
San Bruno currently has only one home affordable to every seven low-wage workers. San Mateo has one home affordable to every 10 low-wage workers. Many cities on the Peninsula, like Atherton and Hillsborough, have ignored fair housing choice by denying apartment buildings altogether. In the COVID-era, this is a wake-up call because a lack of affordable housing often leads to overcrowded houses and apartments.
We can do better.
Prior to the pandemic, 550,000 people were commuting every day to jobs on the Peninsula outside their home cities — that’s equivalent to three-quarters of San Mateo County’s entire population. Many commuters would prefer living in the city where they work, if they could afford it. And while many white-collar workers have been able to make the shift to working from home, this has not been the case for low-wage workers. When families can live close to work, stay in neighborhoods they grew up in, or afford to stay close to the people and resources they need, it is better for everyone — less traffic, more social cohesion, more time for families to spend with their children, and it moves us closer to the diverse and prosperous place we all want the Peninsula to be.
Now is the time for the Peninsula’s cities and counties to get to work and decide how they will meet these long overdue housing needs. Their decisions can ensure that every family who seeks to live here, whether for jobs, school or health, can find a place to call home. The Peninsula can do this, and we will all be stronger for it.
Justin Alley is the secretary of communications for One San Mateo, a community group working for a more fair and inclusive city with a focus on advancing affordable housing solutions. He lives in San Mateo.
Another patronizing article by a white guy. Does he really believe that black and brown folks need his help? They are just as smart and will find their way just like we all did.
You clearly missed the point here. Do you think Bay Area cities and counties are all white? That's who Justin asks to help with this. Justin obviously knows that this cannot be accomplished by any one person, white, black, brown. Black and brown people are part of the cities and counties he mentions. It takes ALL of us to accomplish goals that he discusses. If you really understood this op-ed, you would be able to see there's nothing patronizing about. It's a plea for us all to work together. Comments like yours do nothing but get in the way of the kind of unity Justin is suggesting.
One San Mateo? never heard of them. Sounds like another group made up out of thin air to push for higher density due to to race. Whether it be the Housing Leadership Council, One San Mateo or the plethora of non profits crying racism as the need to build more housing, they are unelected organizations that have the same influence on policy any citizen has. To all the non-profits screaming racism and diversity in San Mateo, "We" will see you at the ballot box or at City Hall. The ABAG is an unelected board and RHNA guidelines both must be ignored, dismissed and rejected as they have no teeth over the will of the people. Justin, I think it is time to pack up you bag of tricks and move on to another city, we aren't interested in what you are selling here in San Mateo.
That's a shame. One San Mateo is a fantastic organization whose mission is to help the undeserved with housing in a highly inflated market. What could possibly be better than that?
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(6) comments
Another patronizing article by a white guy. Does he really believe that black and brown folks need his help? They are just as smart and will find their way just like we all did.
You clearly missed the point here. Do you think Bay Area cities and counties are all white? That's who Justin asks to help with this. Justin obviously knows that this cannot be accomplished by any one person, white, black, brown. Black and brown people are part of the cities and counties he mentions. It takes ALL of us to accomplish goals that he discusses. If you really understood this op-ed, you would be able to see there's nothing patronizing about. It's a plea for us all to work together. Comments like yours do nothing but get in the way of the kind of unity Justin is suggesting.
Sorry, unity ends up costing us in higher taxes and greater density and gridlock. No thank you.
One San Mateo? never heard of them. Sounds like another group made up out of thin air to push for higher density due to to race. Whether it be the Housing Leadership Council, One San Mateo or the plethora of non profits crying racism as the need to build more housing, they are unelected organizations that have the same influence on policy any citizen has. To all the non-profits screaming racism and diversity in San Mateo, "We" will see you at the ballot box or at City Hall. The ABAG is an unelected board and RHNA guidelines both must be ignored, dismissed and rejected as they have no teeth over the will of the people. Justin, I think it is time to pack up you bag of tricks and move on to another city, we aren't interested in what you are selling here in San Mateo.
Patrick,
I see you still have your mouse in your pocket.
That's a shame. One San Mateo is a fantastic organization whose mission is to help the undeserved with housing in a highly inflated market. What could possibly be better than that?
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.