| > Olivia would streamline, coordinate and simplify the approval process for housing so we can get more built, faster Those are generic sentences without substance. Of course the city wants to be efficient. But unless I hear specifics I'm extremely skeptical. > She made it so that you can now build four story, four unit multiplexes Good, but city approval for heights is probably the most boring and lowest hanging of my complaints. Zoning reform and NIMBYism is 90% of what reduces supply and kills off meaningful development. This is a multi-decade crisis, it's not a minor policy debate in city council. Even if they can get approval for a 4 story multiplex the fact 90% are building skyscrapers instead of other (legal) arrangements happen because it's the only one people are willing to risk $$$ on. It's extremely risky to run a development project in the city, because a) where you can build is severely capped so you have to build as high as possible and b) if you're going to navigate all of roadblocks and NIMBY backed lawyering you better be getting a property who's ROI can fund teams of lawyers and support years of development, often well before any construction start. If we actually want to solve the housing crisis we literally need to start razing whole blocks of single family homes, industrial areas, old office buildings, etc and build high density housing. This is radical stuff. Nothing about what Chow is proposing is anywhere close to addressing the crisis. |