THE FAIR AND TARGETED SOLUTION TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISES
“Fair-market-value exploitation” refers to the practice of buying property in undervalued and under-appraised areas, such the Black areas, for the purpose of exploiting the unjustly low prices under the guise of paying fair market value. Fair market value does not provide fair prices because the Black areas are significantly undervalued compared to the Non-Black areas. Fair market value is a monetary embodiment of the basic racism and inequity which created the extreme disparity in the housing prices between the Black and non-Black areas in the first place. Fair market value is also the legal measure of damages in an eminent domain action. “Fair market value exploitation” is particularly egregious where, as in California for example, the expected profits from the new developments/stadiums/housing prices are outrageous.
The FAIR solution is a bill which requires rezoning in areas with the least affordable housing, regardless of proximity to the metro or bus lines, to provide the most amount of new affordable housing units with an exemption for the remaining areas whose property values are currently significantly lower than the most offending neighborhoods.
The premise that Blacks must be relocated in order to provide these new urbanites and everyone else with affordable housing is wrong. The premise that new construction should be concentrated on areas centered around metro stops instead of where the actual scarcity of affordable housing exists right now is also very wrong for both Black neighborhoods and as an actual effective solution.
The housing bills need to target the areas with the true scarcity of affordable housing, where building more affordable housing units would actually significantly mitigate the housing crises. This approach would actually rectify the injustices brought about by this housing market crises by making the areas that caused the problems provide the solutions, and by allowing those displaced to return and those new to settle and enjoy the wonderful neighborhoods- without displacing Black neighborhoods. If that requires the developers and/or citizens to pay a premium for the land in expensive areas, then so be it. If it requires construction of huge complexes in expensive areas, then fine. This approach actually targets and provides more affordable housing units in the areas that need them without placing most of the pressure on the Black areas, which are the few areas left with any affordable housing units. For example, If the benefits for displacement in the SB 827 are so great, then those relocated in these offending areas should be fine.
A FAIR housing bill will require the developers to build a percentage of affordable units for low to middle income or qualified residents without any other conditions or exemptions for the developers and without destroying the remaining Black communities. Planning and Zoning bills should not link affordable housing with displacement of Black and minority communities as riders.
There are number of issues, which I will discuss further. For example,
- The significantly lower prices in the Black neighborhoods encourages increased and accelerated development in these Black neighborhoods, and with it increased and accelerated Black relocation. It means more people relocated at a faster pace- things sped up. In fact the policy behind these bills is that accelerated construction is the answer. See these posts The Black Communities Are Being Used As a Source of Cheap Reserve Housing, Demand, Supply and Discrimination- The Intentional Devaluation of Black Communities., Ch. 2. Black Relocation is the Result of the New Urbanites and Developers Increasing Pressure on the Black Communities to Provide Cheap Reserve Housing…, Cashing in on Jim Crow, Urban Decay, Greed and Police Brutality in Los Angeles’ Hot Renewal Markets and New Urbanites.
- The housing bills need to target the areas with the true scarcity of affordable housing where building more affordable housing units would actually significantly mitigate the housing crises. Instead, these bills such as SB 827 and SB 35, attempt to make the remaining Black areas burden others’ greed, racism and reckless increases of the housing market. Offending Areas that should provide the affordable housing units include the entire coastal urban California coastline, including but not limited to, Venice, Santa Monica, “Westside” Los Angeles, “South Bay” Los Angeles and coastal cities, Malibu, Downtown Los Angeles, San Francisco, any areas that have completed Black relocation without expediting the remaining Blacks’ removal such as Seattle’s Central District, the Fillmore area in San Francisco, Harlem in New York, and the now white areas of Washington D.C., etc. The Black areas had affordable housing- that was not the problem for the local residents. In fact, under-valuation has been standard in this Jim-Crow state and nationally for Black neighborhoods. It wasn’t our side of town that drove up the prices and created this mess. This is not a morally shared issue- nor should the property be treated as such. The only reason why our communities are at risk is because the new urbanites and developers are driving the costs up and the Blacks out using police brutality to do the dirty work.
- The offending communities with the least units of affordable housing are often not on the transit rich corridors or within a half mile of metro stops. Indeed wealthier areas are infamous for their resistance to bus and metro lines. SB 827 does nothing to address this.
- Our Black communities deserve a chance to thrive without double-dealing from the developers, politicians and fellow white Californians pretending to care about our neighborhoods when their only intention has been to use our neighborhoods as reserve cheap housing for their greed and racism. This is not integration, but a takeover.
- Right now the expanding Metro and bus lines are becoming symbols of exploitation and white encroachment. Black neighborhoods had to fight to be on the line- now it means relocation and eminent domain.
- The Black neighborhoods are not responsible for California’s environment. Another possibility is building more trains from the suburbs, and they can take those trains and walk all day to save the environment.
- Those that created the problem of this housing crises should not get to keep the entire financial benefit of their greed and racism. Right now, the cities are becoming more White than ever, and too expensive for most people. This is too much.
- Planning and Zoning bills should not link affordable housing with displacement of Black and minority communities as riders. For example, SB 827 should not provide incentives or bonuses for developers to provide a percentage of affordable housing units. A FAIR housing bill will require the developers to build a percentage of affordable units for low to middle income or qualified residents without any other conditions or exemptions for the developers and without destroying the remaining Black communities. The developers don’t need protection. The people in the communities need protection from the developers, politicians and fellow new urbanite citizens. The premise that Blacks must be relocated in order to provide these new urbanites and everyone else with affordable housing is wrong. Three years of rent for an entire Black community is not the answer. There is land in other areas that can provide the space and units that are not within a half mile from a major transit stop or within a quarter mile of a transit rich corridor and these offending areas actually need the affordable housing units right now.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILLS
Below is information about the Planning and Zoning Bills regarding the affordable housing crises that are either currently before our Legislature in Sacramento, California or have been passed such as California Senate Bill 35 Planning and Zoning: Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval Process, Cal. Gov’t. Code, §§ 65400 through 65913.4, approved by Governor Brown September 29, 2017 – introduced by CA Senator Scott Weiner (D- San Francisco). When I first posted this page, California Senate Bill 827 Planning and Zoning: Transit Rich Housing Bonus – introduced by CA Senator Scott Weiner (D- San Francisco) was before the Legislature. These bills do not actually solve the issues affecting Black relocation, including “fair-market-value” exploitation. UPDATE: SB 827 has been rejected. (Good news!)
Essays on Modern Jim Crow and Black Relocation From the Urban Cores; Inglewood, CA is Great with Blacks 