Monterey County Local News: Housing


All Local Housing News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law

The California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, is both the state’s signature environmental legislation, and is also often named as the villain in the state’s housing shortage. But the story may not be that simple.

Image caption: Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society

Zoning laws determine what can be built and where. These laws have shaped California, but are they really just tools for social engineering? The history of zoning is closely tied to racial segregation, as well as the state's shortage of …

Image caption: Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?

California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is the housing crisis a cause?

Image caption: Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners

As California insurance companies have revoked the fire policies of thousands of homeowners, the state has taken steps to get them covered again.

Image caption: Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors

The future of 1,100 miles of spectacular coastline is in the hands of the California Coastal Commission, which is beloved by coastal environmentalists, notorious among those who favor development, and little-known in the inland parts of the state.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

07/24/2024
California Forever’s announcement July 22 that it has decided to pull a ballot measure that would have let voters decide on a controversial planned city in rural Solano County drew swift reaction from political leaders and opponents.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/24/2024
What happens when voters take to the ballot to thumb their nose at state housing law? Courts haven’t offered a clear answer.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

07/22/2024
On July 22, California Forever announced it was withdrawing its initiative to amend the Solano County General Plan off the November ballot and would instead begin working with the county through the normal, though less expeditious, process.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

07/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Board Delays Its Decision on Pajaro Farmworker Housing Plans After Supervisors Are Split on the Project.

For the second time in three months, a government body deadlocked on a proposed farmworker housing project in Pajaro.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

07/12/2024
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held July 11 to celebrate the grand opening of the 66-unit Alfred Diaz-Infante Apartments in the East Garrison.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

07/11/2024
Image for display with article titled A Divided Carmel City Council Gives a Green Light to Street Addresses.

The town famous for having no numbered street addresses is now a step closer to adding them, after a divided 3-2 vote of the Carmel City Council on Tuesday, July 9.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/10/2024
Taking advantage of new state funds, some California healthcare providers are starting to offer what their homeless patients really need: housing.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

07/03/2024
Image for display with article titled East Garrison’s Last Phase of Construction Is Moving Forward, With Questions About Parking.

Like other local developments in the former Fort Ord that were approved in the aughts, a time of great optimism, East Garrison – which the County Board of Supervisors approved in 2004 – failed to launch as the Great Recession tanked the market.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

06/26/2024
Image for display with article titled The Stars Are Finally Aligning for the Developers of Campus Town to Get Shovels in the Ground.

Ever since the City of Seaside entered into a purchase and sale agreement with KB Bakewell Seaside Venture II, LLC in 2017 to develop the Campus Town project, which envisions 1,485 housing units and more than 150,000 square feet of commercial space on 122 acres at the city’s border with Marina, progress has been slow.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

06/26/2024
In their June 25 meeting, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the final phase of the East Garrison housing project.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/25/2024
A push to bolster housing production in California's coastal communities in recent years has led to heated battles over potential state reforms. Below, a veteran elected official believes the debate has created a false choice between housing and protections. The opposing view: A former attorney for the Coastal Commission says the state Coastal Act has failed to deliver on what it envisioned.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/20/2024
On June 19, California YIMBY announced support for the California Forever project going to the Solano County ballot in November.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/17/2024
A recent court ruling exempted five charter cities from a controversial housing law. That’s given anti-density advocates across California an idea.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/13/2024
Tens of thousands of California homeowners, especially those who live in areas at risk of wildfires, have lost their insurance or have to pay more to keep coverage. One after another, major companies have pulled out of the state, many citing the cost of claims.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

06/12/2024
Image for display with article titled The Board of Supervisors Weigh in on the County's Overdue Housing Plan in a Rush to Get It to the State.

Under pressure to stay within California Department of Housing and Community Development's good graces, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors got their shot at reviewing the county's 2023-2031 housing plan on Tuesday, June 11.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

06/12/2024
A public workshop held on June 11 considered how to meet the housing element requirements of 3300+ new housing units across a variety of affordability levels.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

06/11/2024
On June 11, Solano County elections officials announced the verification of necessary signatures for the California Forever sponsored initiative to amend the county General Plan to be on the November ballot.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/06/2024
On June 6, the Solano Land Trust announced its opposition to the California Forever project to build a new community housing up to 400,000 people in the county.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/06/2024
A panel at the CalMatters Ideas Festival debates how to reduce homelessness without punishing poverty. There’s worry about a potential $1 billion cut in state funding.
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