Following the Governor’s signing of Senate Bill 9 (Atkins), League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman released the below statement:

“We are disappointed in the signing of this flawed legislation. SB 9 undermines the ability of local governments to responsibly plan for the types of housing that communities need, circumvents the local government review process, and silences community voices. Even worse, there are no provisions in SB 9 that require new housing to be affordable, continuing the cycle of the construction of new units that are out of reach for many working-class families.

Cities are committed to planning and zoning for more housing in a manner that acknowledges state housing goals, but also respects community input and involvement. Significant work is already underway in cities throughout the state to bring down the high cost of housing in our communities. By the end of 2022, all of the state’s major regional governments, including cities, will have identified and planned for more than two million units of additional housing statewide.

“Despite this top-down mandate that disregards local voices and decision-making, Cal Cities will continue to explore all options to ensure local governments have the necessary tools and resources to plan for the types of housing actually needed in their communities.”