this is what she gave us BACKGROUND
Changing demographics in California are impacting public policy, which in turn shape developments in land use law. There are four trends to watch in land use law:
§ Affordable housing provisions;
§ Water supply protection;
§ Transportation systems enhancement;
§ Federal regulations impacting state/local land use authority.

In 2002, the legislature set forth planning priorities for inclusion in municipal master plans. They include:
1. promoting infill development (increasing density in existing communities) and equity (for all populations through affordable housing, etc);
2. protecting the environment and agricultural resources; and
3. encouraging efficient development patterns
(through land use, encouraging building to happen near existing developments, having development plans consider future growth issues, and similar initiatives).
Bay area cities have to address these elements in their general plans by 2007.

More on affordable housing
There has been a clear trend to restrict local government regulation of affordable housing, most likely the result of notorious “not in my back yard” approaches hampering affordable housing development in some communities. There are several recent examples of state legislation in this vein:
A. AB 1866 dictates that putting second units on single family residential lots is a ministerial “over the counter” type of permit process rather than a conditional use permit more tightly regulated/limited by city ordinances. This limits a city’s ability to curtail additions of second residential units in areas that are zoned “single family residential.”
B. SB 619 states that multiple family affordable housing is a permitted use in areas zoned residential (not a conditionally permitted use), if certain conditions apply (if 4 acre parcel or less and the project is high-density; if the project is for agricultural employees; others). This means that cities can’t put these projects through more than the usual permitting and approvals that other housing must go through in the zoned area.
C. SB 1818 expands a recent requirement that cities must offer a density bonus that entitles developers to build additional units to reward their efficient use of land in a particular development. If a child care facility is a part of a development, an additional bonus goes to the developer, as also happens if there is affordable housing involved.
Another recent development in land use regulation has been making “multiple family housing” a protected class, thus barring discrimination in local government regulations based upon that category. [Previous to this, “protected class” always referred to persons, so applying this analysis to a type of housing is quite remarkable.]



YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Your assignment is to delve into the issue of affordable housing and affordable housing regulation in California. Your final paper should:
- be between 550 and 850 words long.
- address a theme of your chosing, and remain consistent to that theme.
- be a mix of your observations/conclusions and facts gleaned from source material.
- should be mindful of composition, grammar, and spelling conventions.
- cite data from at least three sources.
- be your original work. Plagiarism will result on zero points, with no re-write ability. Long attributed quotes from outside sources are inefficient uses of your word limitations and will take away point opportunites.

Due date
Your paper must be submitted using the mail function in our WebCT class space. You should email the assignment in the body of your mail message or as an attachment (it’s your responsibility to ensure the attachment can be opened). The assignment must be mailed to your instructor, Krista Johns, by 10 p.m., Thursday, September 28, 2006. Those who wait until the last minute bear the risk of any computer or system-related glitches.

Working together
This assignment can be completed by a group. Groups can include up to three individuals. If the project is a group effort, please make sure that the submission clearly lists the individuals involved. There should also be this statement (not part of the word count) on the paper: “Each member of this group project actively participated and contributed personal effort to the final product.”

How to get started
- You might want to see how affordable housing is defined, and how that relates to the average salaries of prospective clients in a particular community
- You might want to compare affordable housing standards with median home prices in a particular area
- You might find discussions about why affordable housing is an issue, and consider whether regulations seem to make an impact on the issue
- You might pick a selected issue (2nd-unit-on-single-family-lots; density bonuses as a useful incentive; other)
- You might look more broadly into the idea of state government limiting city governments in their regulations to create the communities of their wishes
- Bottom line: spend time to find an issue of interest, that can involve both facts/data, and viewpoints/analysis. Once you’ve found that issue, use your research time focused on that issue. Start compiling thoughts so that the final writing won’t be so pressure-filled.

Advice
Call upon some of your discussion posting resources to get a start on this assignment. Consult with members of your group. Ask questions concerning the assignment early! Remember that two weeks will go by very quickly.


and im like :eek4::wtc: when i saw that