to the cost of an affordable housing unit. Because of this, parking requirements often translate into higher rents and home prices, as well as fewer affordable housing units.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nNearly all of the jurisdictions studied by the Terner Center had some parking requirements for multi-family and single-family development, with the majority mandating at least two parking spaces per housing unit.<\/p>\n
AB 1401 would give developers, not planning commissions, the authority to decide how much parking to include in the projects. However, the bill does not prevent local governments from passing minimum requirements for accessibility parking and spaces dedicated to car-sharing and electric vehicle charging.<\/p>\n
Critics of the bill argue that it would give city planners less sway with developers. Reduced parking is often used as an incentive in exchange for the inclusion of affordable housing units, as exemplified by Los Angeles\u2019 Transit Oriented Communities Program. Others say smaller cities that aren\u2019t currently well-served by public transit would undoubtedly suffer, worsening traffic congestion and causing more competition for off-street parking.<\/p>\n
The third reading of AB 1401 is expected to take place in the coming weeks. If it passes with a majority of the vote it will head to the Senate for further consideration.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Photo by Igor Karimov<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n