LAO Releases Report on Housing

This week, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a report on California’s housing shortage, with specific focus on how cities and counties plan for community development.  In Do Communities Adequately Plan for Housing, the LAO outlines the current process of home planning and building, and makes a number of suggestions to address issues that are slowing needed development.  

Some recommendations include modifying Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals, increasing local fiscal incentives, and streamlining local approvals.  However, according to the LAO, while the Legislature can take some steps to improve the planning and development process, ultimately, residents will need to shift their view of building new homes before California will see a real change in addressing the housing shortfall.

The full report can be accessed here.