Recently, members of the community have written in this paper about opposing several housing bills working their way through Sacramento. The basis of the arguments - that Sacramento wants to wipe out single-family neighborhoods - is laughably untrue, but the timing is pretty ironic. Let’s take a quote:
“They are absolutely determined to eliminate single-family zoning, destroy the value of houses and communities already built”
This must be a Santa Monica homeowner, right? Actually, it’s Donald Trump. Just two weeks ago.
Let’s take another:
“they want to eliminate single family zoning, bringing who knows into your suburbs, so your communities will be unsafe and your housing values will go down.”
A concerned Santa Monica resident? Nope. Again, Donald Trump. Is the White House swapping notes with someone in Santa Monica?
California’s crushing housing shortage is well proven at this point. Anyone who argues we don’t need more homes is just denying reality. That is why the housing bills working their way through Sacramento have attracted a broad coalition of support. Groups in support of more housing include labor unions such as United Farm Workers and the California Labor Federation, environmental organizations such as the NRDC, non-profit housing builders such as Habitat for Humanity, and many others. Nationally, leaders such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Julian Castro have argued for similar reforms.
The question now is whose side should we be on. The side of Habitat for Humanity, the NRDC, United Farm Workers, and the California Labor Federation? Or the side of Donald Trump? For a progressive city like Santa Monica, I hope that choice is clear.
Matthew Stevens,
Santa Monica Resident
