Mayor Todd Gloria endorses housing development legislation
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced his endorsement of a bill to remove federal barriers to urban housing development on Monday.
Introduced by Representative Laura Friedman (CA-30), the Cut Red Tape for Housing Act intends to lower housing costs while speeding up construction in urban areas. The bill allows for infill housing developments (that meet a specific site and environmental criteria) to be exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Gloria wrote a letter of support to Friedman on Sept. 9, where he first shared his support for the bill.
“As Mayor of San Diego, I recognize the urgent need to increase housing supply in our cities,” Gloria said. “The Cut Red Tape for Housing Act aligns with these priorities by encouraging infill development, and supporting the creation of sustainable, vibrant communities.”
For sites to qualify for exemption under the Cut Red Tape for Housing Act, they must:
- Be on sites currently vacant or underutilized, no larger than 20 acres
- Have 75% or more of surrounding land be used for commercial, urban or residential purposes (ensuring it is an urban area)
- Not destroy structures on protected historic registers
- Have a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
- Exclude high wildfire or flood risk areas
- Ensure data is current
“I'm honored to have the support of local leaders like Mayor Gloria – leaders who understand that in order to fix our housing crisis, we need to invest in commonsense legislation that makes building housing easier and less expensive,” Friedman said.
“I thank you for championing this important legislation and look forward to its swift passage,” Gloria added.
