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By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media
A bill that could allow churches to build affordable housing on their parking lots and surplus lands passed the California Legislature on Sept. 11. If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill (SB) 4 thousands of unused urban lots could potentially be used for housing development.
“SB 4 will open up 170,000 acres of land for affordable housing. It’s a game-changer,” Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The bill successfully passed the Senate floor with 32 votes in favor and two against. In the Assembly, it received overwhelming support with just a single vote against it.
The bill applies to churches, mosques, synagogues and other faith organizations. The organizations utilizing their land for construction would be able to bypass local zoning restrictions or discretionary approval processes.
Opposition to the bill has come from some local governments and environmental justice organizations. The city of Beverly Hills argued that localities are better equipped to address the needs of their residents. Environmental justice organizations have advocated for more protections that would prohibit construction within specified distances of freeways, industrial areas and oil and gas facilities.
The bill was amended in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee to improve environmental protections near oil wells.
