The BIA applauds Circulate San Diego for taking on the California Coastal Commission in a new report that criticizes the state agency for making our housing crisis worse, fueling climate change, and preserving coastal communities for wealthy people and mansions few can afford.
The Coastal Commission is a large government bureaucracy that should be reformed because it has made our housing crisis worse. It often delays or rejects housing projects to preserve areas for a wealthy few instead of opening the coast to everyone and working with us to help solve our housing crisis.
We hope you take the time to read the full report, A Better Coastal Commission, from Circulate San Diego, a nonprofit think tank, and the news coverage the report generated.
“Legislators are starting to become very frustrated with the power of the Coastal Commission in preventing California from meeting its housing goals, and also its environmental goals,” Assemblymember David Alvarez, D-San Diego, told Voice of San Diego.
From the Report
“This report documents numerous examples where the Coastal Commission has resisted, opposed, and delayed the construction of deed-restricted affordable homes that use programs like Density Bonus Law. This is even true for projects on land that is already zoned for multi-family housing, in plans already approved by the Coastal Commission itself.
“Similarly, this report documents examples where the Coastal Commission opposes projects that the Legislature encourages as a part of California’s efforts to combat climate change.”
The report concludes by saying the Coastal Commission “does not always work in concert with the Legislature’s adopted goals for affordable housing, reducing segregation, and fighting climate change. Reasonable reforms can help align the activities in our coastal communities toward important and compatible state goals. With reforms, California can enjoy the fruits of a better Coastal Commission.”
Click here to read the full report.
Go Deeper
Housing Advocates Clash With Coastal Commission – Voice of San Diego
Has the Coastal Commission Made Housing and Climate Crises Worse? – Union Tribune
