The statewide housing crunch is raising prices and putting lower income groups into deeper financial straits as they attempt to keep up with housing costs, reports the Bay Area News Group in its coverage of a pivotal new state report. "California's High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences," released March 17, 2015, by the state Legislative Analyst's Office, examines the housing shortage and says the state needs to revamp policies and allow for the construction of 100,000 additional units per year. Full Story  

At a time when responsible thought leaders around the state are seriously digesting the sobering wake-up call just issued by the California Legislative Analyst's Office highlighting California's new housing supply crisis (see item above), on what subject did ABAG's Regional Planning Committee focus almost its entire quarterly meeting earlier this week?  A purported regional crisis of a shortage of land permanently zoned and restricted to industrial uses. Full Story  

Brentwood Eyes Fee Changes  

Brentwood staff is proposing to raise development impact fees 3.5 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, on new single-family and active adult units while dropping rates by 12.5 percent on multi-family projects. Non-residential rates would also decline--less than 1 percent to 13.2 percent for commercial, industrial and office. The revised draft fee schedule was developed during the city's update of its 2005 fee program.  Full Story

The Cupertino Housing Commission will consider modifications to the city's existing housing mitigation fees at a hearing on April 9, 2015. The City Council last spring authorized a nexus study update that examined changes to existing housing mitigation fees for residential and non-residential (office, retail, hotel, research and development, and industrial) development. Full Story

The City of San Jose will hold a special primary election on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, for City Council District 4 candidates. The seat was vacated last December when Kansen Chu was elected to the California State Assembly. Ten candidates are on the ballot, which means that a run-off election is likely. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's election, the run-off will be held on June 23, 2015.  Full Story