With housing policy at the forefront, Solana Beach reviews legislative priorities

Solana Beach City Council members reviewed their upcoming legislative priorities, with a focus on multiple bills that have been introduced by state lawmakers aimed at addressing the housing crisis.
The city’s legislative priorities are meant to guide the city’s lobbying activity in Sacramento
Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner asked if the state government was intent on “giving the entire state of California, every single city, over to developers to do what they want with it.”
Housing policy at the state level has veered more toward increasing housing supply, with the philosophy that more supply will help stabilize rising prices. Cities including Solana Beach have called for more measures aimed at building low-income housing specifically.
“What they’re pushing on us is not working,” Solana Beach City Councilmember Jewel Edson said. “We’re not creating more affordable, we’re losing affordable. It’s been the opposite.”
Council members have said they’re hoping the state could help with funding needed for the Pearl project, which is an affordable housing project that has been in limbo for years because developers don’t see it penciling out.
One of the key housing bills pending in the legislature is AB 306, which would put a six-year pause on changes to state and local residential building code standards in an effort to ease the rebuilding process for wildfire victims.
Another housing bill pending in the legislature is SB 677 by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, which modifies the existing lot-splitting laws to try to add more housing supply.
“I think that they are desperate to get housing,” said Kyra Ross, a city lobbyist, “and so to that end I don’t know that they’re thinking through all the details and exactly what it means, but I think they’re willing to push into things like Builder’s Remedy if that means housing gets built.”
“The City of Solana Beach is committed to addressing the critical need for affordable housing while maintaining its character as a coastal, residential community,” the legislative policy reads. “The City will advocate for policies and funding that support affordable housing development, access to housing opportunities, and housing for vulnerable populations, such as seniors and low-income families.”
Some of the city’s other priorities include transportation and environmental sustainability.
Following a spring recess from April 10 to 21, the state Legislature begins a series of deadlines that end with a Sept. 12 cutoff for the Assembly and Senate to pass bills. The governor has until Oct. 12 to sign or veto bills.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 60 housing bills in 2024, with many in effect as of Jan. 1.
According to the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, there have been 160 housing bills introduced in the Legislature as of mid March.