Blog 101 - A shoutout to ALL the homeowner developers of ADU units!!
The 2020 ADU legislation represents the largest homeowner empowerment legislation since the 1978 tax reform commonly named Prop 13. For decades, local and state codes have favored the traditional real estate developers who have profited greatly from the technology driven economic advances in the SF Bay Area often on the backs of low to moderate wage earners. Homeowners now have a chance to build wealth, age-in-place and alter the look and feel of their own communities instead of being subjected to the professional real estate developers who dominate local council members. Through their own decisions, homeowners can improve the housing stock within their communities for newly financially independent offspring and members of their local service workers. Building ADU’s that meet the housing needs of low to moderate income community members is an opportunity for homeowners to take control of their community’s development while preserving the local culture of that community. However, homeowners will need to act to preserve their empowerment as city planners, weighted by real estate professionals, look for ways to limit the homeowner’s control of their property while spreading fake news about the ADU movement.
This libertarian hates government oversight of any kind but when the private sector organizes and controls the local governing bodies to a degree experienced in the SF bay area then a sharply focused state intervention to get things moving in a direction that favors not just the well-funded entrepreneur but the ill-funded and rejected entrepreneurs too. Old County Road between SM and RWC is a perfect example of local government being manipulated by local developers overextending their roles. Old County Road business and living community need revitalized NOT replaced by condos for high tech employees. Old County Road could become a vibrant arts and trades community if the owners are allowed to build JADU and ADU units alongside or over their shops and workspaces. Professional developers will resist individual homeowner led development as will their council members. If the ADU movement moves fast enough, the homeowners may enjoy their empowerment and seek to extend control over local ordinance that too often favor traditional developers rather than the needs and wants of homeowners. For all the short coming listed above, the recent state oversite is welcomed by this libertarian, and I will be strongly supportive until the bureaucrats of the old “privileged” developer model is broken and removed from city councils everywhere.