Henry Grabar's Slate interview with YIMBY advocate Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz highlights the need for bipartisan support for deregulating local housing construction. Abolishing onerous zoning codes, says Schatz, can address nationwide housing shortages, allow for a variety of new units created (not just high end), and preserve a vibrant free market—without the hassles of top-down gov't interference (looking at you, SB 9).
Read MoreA recent article in local news labels proposed Senate Bill 31 as “criminalizing homelessness” by making it a misdemeanor to take up residence on sidewalks and streets 1,000 ft. from “sensitive areas.” Past SJ councilmember Johnny Khamis clarifies why effective law enforcement, substance abuse/mental health, and housing solutions must be blended to keep our community's families safe. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreIf Stanford won't punish its students' anti-free speech harassment, says litigator John Banzhaf, the real world should. Banzhaf is brandishing the potentially career-killing threat of bar complaints against Stanford Law students who heckled federal judge Kyle Duncan, citing “very clear” policies against disruption and the need for law practitioners to—hold your breath, Silicon Valley—listen to the other side.
Read MoreStanford Law's Federalist Society student president Tim Rosenberger, Jr. speaks to why a few prominent judges have announced they will stop hiring Stanford Law grads. Some are worried this effect will snowball, as with recent years' Yale Law blacklisting. Stanford's solution, according to TRJ, must involve thoughtful hiring and student discipline decisions. An exclusive from Opp Now, the only local publication covering the Stanford Law circus fully.
Read MoreGov't misconduct expert Josh Koehn reports on a new lawsuit against SF nonprofit org the United Council of Human Services, which alleges that CEO Gwendolyn Westbrook has inappropriately used funds for personal benefit (“living a lifestyle inconsistent with her reported salary”). From the SF Standard, the latest chapter exposing local nonprofits' alarming lack of accountability.
Read MoreSF Standard’s Maryann Jones Thompson reports on the latest data about 2020–2022 population losses in Bay Area counties. Second only to SF County (which boasts a -7.5% change), Santa Clara County has seen 3.4% of its residents make a quick getaway post-2020—as Texas areas continue gaining, some counties even by 10–18%.
Read MoreThe rejection of the SJ Housing Dept's overly complex COPA proposal at the Community and Economic Development Committee on March 27 marked a turning point. And it makes local housing provider Dean Hotop wonder if the city is finally putting an end to punitive, heavy-handed regulations that have only made the housing crisis worse. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreIn the Cato Institute, Marc Joffe updates readers on California’s high-speed rail project—and nobody paying any attention is surprised. The HSR faces ballooning costs, declining ridership projections, and delayed launch dates, which has prompted calls for an independent review before legislators recommit.
Read MoreGinny Burton of ChangeWA previously worked for a nonprofit that carried out Housing First policies, but she was horrified to observe homeless individuals rampantly endangering themselves and others--and being, in the most practical sense, rewarded for it. Instead, homelessness and housing approaches must manage underlying causes, says Burton.
Read MoreCoalition for a Better Oakland’s Steve Heimoff dives into local progressive pols’ vision to eliminate eviction, thus—supposedly—mitigating residents’ housing challenges. Instead, Heimoff believes this platform is more dangerous than it appears. It hinges on an aversion to private property ownership, and will lead to reduced rights for others if unchecked. “First they came for the landlords, and I did not speak out—because I was not a landowner…”
Read MoreAnalyzing several well-subsidized SF nonprofits, Josh Koehn explains in the SF Standard that many residents are urging for transparency in how NP partners address objectives and use taxpayer funds. Even SF Mayor Breed acknowledges difficulties in working with NPs, but local nonprofit lobbyists strongly request no additional stipulations be enforced—lest the paperwork adds up.
Read MoreOn March 27, SJ's Community and Economic Development Committee voted 3-2 to reject the Housing Dept's report on their COPA proposal. The most compelling argument that surfaced during the meeting was simple: What SJ residents need—especially lower income residents—is an abundance of new (hence more affordable) housing. And that hyper-complex, Rubik's cube proposals like COPA are misguided, as they do nothing to create new housing, and in fact constrain it. Roger Valdez, director at the Center for Housing Economics, explains in Forbes.
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