Should churches turn their empty lots into housing? California bill would cut red tape

A California lawmaker is reviving legislation that would clear zoning hurdles for houses of worship and nonprofit colleges seeking to build affordable housing on vacant land.

Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, on Tuesday announced a bill that would make it more challenging for local governments to restrict housing projects located on land owned by religious and higher education institutions.

Wiener said faith groups frequently have extra land, such as parking lots, that could be turned into affordable housing. Senate Bill 4 would change the zoning designation on those properties, meaning it would be harder for government officials to reject projects.

Wiener is bringing this idea back to the Legislature after he pulled a similar measure, Senate Bill 899, from an Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing in 2020.

“Faith institutions have always helped the most disadvantaged in our community,” Wiener said in a statement. “Many churches, synagogues and mosques have large plots of unused land, and they want to help low-income people and families by building affordable housing there. Often, this land is right in the middle of a community and can provide easy access to transit, jobs and more.”

The bill shares some similarities with housing measures Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, teamed up to pass during the previous legislative session.

The Wicks and Caballero bills made it easier for developers to build housing in vacant strip malls, parking lots and other commercially-zoned areas in exchange for using union labor or paying workers prevailing wage.

Will Wiener get building trades support?

Carpenters’ unions, which also supported Wicks’ measure, were present at a press conference Wiener held in San Francisco to announce his bill.

Wiener’s proposal will require workers to be paid prevailing wage and receive healthcare and protections from wage theft, almost mirroring the labor provisions in Wicks’ bill.

But it appears Wiener may still need to strike a deal with the the powerful trades unions to get their support. Those labor groups represent nearly all other construction workers, and they carry significant Capitol clout.

In the case of Wicks’ measure, the trades wanted more commitments to hire “skilled and trained workers,” who are nearly always union members. Wicks got her legislation passed by partnering with Caballero, whose bill included language requiring developers to first seek out bids from union workers.

The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California on Tuesday submitted a letter opposing the bill unless Wiener adds language that includes “skilled and trained workforce requirements.”

“We acknowledge the inclusion of prevailing wage coverage in SB 4,” wrote Andrew Meredith, council president. “However, we must remain opposed unless amended because simply paying workers fairly does not ensure that workers will be treated fairly.”

When asked about the trades at the press conference, Wiener said he has worked with the unions “for many, many, many years,” noting their support for a bill he authored last session to make it easier for universities to build housing projects.

“My goal is always to thread the needle and come up with a resolution,” he said.

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