Affordable workforce Housing discussion needed

Feb 2, 2022
Feb 2, 2022 Updated Apr 13, 2025
2

Editor,

On review of Councilmember Dugan’s guest perspective published in the Jan. 29-30 edition, I believe there is an absence, in the public square, of a serious discussion on truly “affordable housing” for our workforce.

(2) comments

Dirk van Ulden Feb 2, 2022 9:46am

Robert, I beg to differ. We elect council members to sort out these problems. If they don't, why have them in office? Homeowners are not the guilty party. The actions by a city council such as in San Carlos clearly indicates that it is responding to their constituents who oppose, by a large margin, the housing bills forced upon us by detached, duplicitous legislators. There is plenty of land available for low income housing. Where I do agree with you is that we need to revamp the permitting and environmental regulations to make it viable for developers to build affordable housing. All our councils need to do is ask developers how it can be done and leave politics out of it.

Terence Y Feb 3, 2022 11:40am

Mr. Miller – interesting points. We have plenty of folks expending hot air about “affordable housing” but as you said, there isn’t a serious discussion. For instance, how much does it cost for developers to build? If hundreds of thousands of dollars are required for fees and assessments and other graft, how can a developer afford to make money building “affordable housing”? They probably can’t, and so they don’t. And who can blame them?

What are the costs associated with an “empowered” homeowner who decides to add on another unit, or two? Will their property taxes be reassessed? I’m betting they will be, and to a much higher base rate – so where’s the incentive for a homeowner to modify their existing home. And if these homeowners rent to folks, who’s to say these new renters won’t become squatters, forcing homeowners to lose out on income? Out of the number of folks that are taking advantage of SB9 or SB10, how many are homeowners? Or are folks taking advantage SB9 or SB10 mostly developers - who won’t care about property tax assessments, as they’re not living in any unit?

I’d disagree that homeowners need to own the problem. Homeowners are where they want to be, and bought their locations based upon the community they wanted to live in. Perhaps that’s why there’s so much opposition to these new bills.

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