SoCalHousingDesk

Tweets on housing policy, real estate development, finance, and politics from an LA-based perspective. My day job: building affordable housing.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Things LA could do to dramatically increase housing production, in order of effectiveness:

1) Repeal Measure ULA for multifamily housing
2) Reform RSO so that new buildings are not entirely subject to it, only require like-for-like replacement of RSO units and make it easier to demolish
3) Roll back the various affordable housing requirements across CHIP, community plans, and the linkage fee ordinance - the percentages are overtuned in today's market
4) Reform LADWP, make it easy, simple, and cheap to connect power to new projects, allow vaults as the default rather than bulky transformer pads
5) Allow missing middle housing in residential neighborhoods at FARs that actually work for developers instead of the stingy levels prescribed in CHIP
6) Overhaul the permitting & entitlement system and consolidate permitting authority into a single agency

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Let's hope that Hinojosa recognizes what made Texas an economic success. If she can move Texas left on social issues (perhaps end the abolition of abortion there) while fundamentally maintaining its tax system and business-friendliness, Texas will be unstoppable the next decade.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Let's be real - though he was awful on culture war issues, Greg Abbott capably directed Texas's economy. He doubled down on the most efficient tax system in the country and banned local rent control and transfer taxes, creating huge economic growth while remaining affordable.

[YIMBYLAND @YIMBYLAND]

Attempting to pass an income tax would be a fantastic way to destroy Democrats’ chances in Texas for a generation.

Complete non-starter for any sane Texas politician.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

He risked pushing property tax reform too far, but understood that prop taxes are necessary if the priority is keeping income taxes at zero (unlike Florida). He also allowed private enterprise to flourish (incl data centers), creating growth that kept government revenues afloat.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Wilson should be lauded for this pivot, and for doing a good job of addressing privacy concerns in her messaging! Socialists can deliver on public safety too!
https://t.co/3DPXZgORs8

[Mayor Katie Wilson @MayorofSeattle]

No Flock cameras in Seattle, ever. New protections against potential abuses drawn from an outside audit. A handful of cameras in new neighborhoods.

Here's what the RTCC looks like from the inside.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

The Mayor of Seattle is finding out quickly that safety is the number one issue. Raman in LA would be wise to resist the populist pushback against Flock cameras or other surveillance methods that allow criminals to be quickly identified, especially in distressed areas like DTLA.

[Joe Veyera @JoeVeyera]

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced Tuesday that police CCTV cameras in SODO will be turned on immediately, with an expansion into Capitol Hill and Central District, saying there is a "important and responsible role" for the SPD's Real-Time Crime Center.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

He would have been a great governor

[Tom Steyer @TomSteyer]

Tonight, the Senate voted to move permitting reform forward. That's a good start.

Let's make a good-faith effort to get this done, with a transmission deal that works for everyone.

93% of the new power capacity planned for the grid this year is solar, batteries, or wind. Give clean energy a level playing field and it wins. https://t.co/CXs8XKPb0O

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

@tradedla Seems like City of Industry would be the logical place to put this

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

@Cassy_Horton The only time I heard (non-union) jobs and economic development mentioned as an issue during the mayoral campaign was in relation to Hollywood. Creative jobs aren't the only ones leaving or stagnating in LA!

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Ah, so LA County won't need the revenue from Measure ER after all. Surely they'll find productive ways to put these funds to work and keep them from falling in the hands of grifting NGOs.

[Marc Joffe @marcjoffe]

NYT reports that Congressional Democrats will likely cancel the Republican Medicaid cuts. Before California adds any more health taxes to offset HR1 cuts, we should see how this turns out.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Great summary of the uncalled races at this point and what it means for Dem majorities

[US Poll Watch @USPollingWatch]

UNCALLED RACES
as of Sunday, 11:8

SENATE
🟦 Alaska, 74% in (likely D win)
🟦 Mississippi, 97% in (likely D)
Total expected: 🟦 56 🟥 44

GOVERNORS
🟦 Alaska, 74% in (very likely D win)
Total expected: 🟦 30 🟥 20

HOUSE
🟥 12, projected R win
🟦 8, projected D win
Total expected: 🟦 260 🟥 175

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

The biggest defections from the Bass coalition were unfortunately interest groups (hotel workers and carpenters unions) who she bent over backward for but were still dissatisfied with their extractions. Let's hope that Raman hasn't made any promises to them.

[Los Angeles Times @latimes]

Bass ran on her strong relationship skills. So why did pivotal allies turn on her? https://t.co/9TDSArE5Xg

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Douthat's a smart guy but just does not have the quick-wittedness needed for these types of combative interviews.

[Jeremy Adler @JeremyAdler]

DOUTHAT: There's a Forbes story that said that your net worth went up by $3B since you returned to office.

TRUMP: So did everyone's.

DOUTHAT: My net worth did not go up by $3B, for the record.

TRUMP: Well, you should've had stock.

DOUTHAT: I should've had stock....

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

@NateSilver538 How would Utah have looked if the alternate map (cracking SLC) had been used? I have to imagine at least 3/4 seats would have gone D.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

@toxoplasmodium He lost me when he did concrete lobby’s bidding to push that Fire District 1 expansion that would have raised construction costs across wide swaths of the city.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Vault transformers have always been an option for developers in LA, but cost hundreds of thousands more and delay design/permitting for 1 year+ compared to pads. Set a fixed fee and streamline the permitting for vaults, and only allow an opt-out under certain circumstances

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

One of the best early things Raman could do as the new mayor is force LADWP to default to vault transformers like every other big city, as opposed to the ugly pads here

[Ed Mendoza 𓊍 @orangutanagram]

@UrbanCourtyard This is what we have in LA instead

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Spending $150m to get the same winning margin in a two-year rental seat in Ohio as $750k for a full term in South Carolina is pretty shocking

[Patrick Svitek @PatrickSvitek]

Final spending figures from Senate Majority PAC (D) and its affiliates:

Iowa: $67 million
Ohio: $150 million
Maine: $65 million
Michigan: $67 million
Texas: $40 million
Kansas: $14 million
South Carolina: $750,000
Mississippi: $2.2 million

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

Just absolutely wild to start pounding the table on this just days after Dems take back Congress, as if the GOP hasn't had a trifecta for the last two years.

[U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. @SenBillCassidy]

Something Democrats AREN’T talking about? Social Security. Those just elected will have to find the solutions before the fund is insolvent in six short years.

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

I almost forgot that West Virginia had a liberal, public option-supporting Democratic senator as recently as 2014.

[Charleston Gazette-Mail @wvgazettemail]

One of the most consequential governmental leaders in West Virginia’s history has died.

John Davison “Jay” Rockefeller IV died on Friday at his home in Washington, the Washington Post reported Friday morning. He was 89.

Rockefeller served as Democratic U.S. senator for West Virginia from 1985 to 2015, getting elected to five full terms before declining to run in 2014.

Rockefeller’s Senate tenure followed an eight-year run as West Virginia governor from 1977 to 1985, a two-term stint that capped his state government service after he was secretary of state from 1968 to 1972 and a House of Delegates member from 1966 to 1968.

📰 READ MORE: https://t.co/i6Q2SNmX4l

[SoCalHousingDesk @SCHousingDesk]

I actually haven't minded Curren Price's tenure and I think the charges against him are a lot weaker than past disgraced councilmembers, but this whole song and dance nevertheless seems extremely inappropriate.

[Unrig LA @UnrigLA]

Absolutely shameless.

They completely skipped the required public comment and held a “ceremonial vote” so that Price and friends can go celebrate, and don’t need to listen to any of the people who have been waiting for 3+ hours to speak!