Land Use

Land use policy is how jurisdictions, usually cities and counties, decide where we build, how we build, and for whom. These decisions can have huge implications for the makeup of our cities; for example, after explicit racial segregation was banned, cities across the country continued to push people of color out of predominantly white neighborhoods through land use decisions. Today, we can harness land use programs to, instead, combat segregation and make sure that everyone can live in a healthy, affordable, thriving, and inclusive community. Some of Public Advocates’ areas of advocacy include:

Housing Element Advocacy

Every eight years cities and counties are required to make a plan, called a housing element, identifying land where enough affordable housing can be built and commiting to addressing the housing needs of the entire community, including low-income residents. Cities are required to come up with a plan that “Affirmatively Furthers Fair Housing”–in other words, that starts to undo generations of land use policies that explicitly and implicitly segregated communities. Housing element advocacy can prevent displacement, preserve existing affordable housing, increase affordable housing development, create opportunities for mobility and/or for increasing investment in communities that have been neglected by their governments, and otherwise reverse segregation.

Surplus Land Act Enforcement

The Surplus Land Act is a law that dictates what steps local governments and other local agencies need to take before they sell or lease land that they own. It was designed to make sure that public land, when sold or leased, continues to be used for public good by giving Affordable Housing Developers the first chance to make an offer to purchase or lease the land. By making sure local agencies follow the Surplus Land Act, Public Advocates helps to increase the supply of affordable housing around California and make sure that communities truly benefit from their public land.