Support SB 484 – Create New Housing in the Coastal Zone
Advance appropriate multi-unit, 100 percent affordable housing projects within the urbanized areas of California’s coastal cities
California’s coastal zone has a severe imbalance in the types of housing available that is afflicting coastal communities statewide. The lack of affordable housing in the coastal zone contributes to our state’s social and environmental crises of housing accessibility, transportation gridlock and pollution, and inland sprawl.
We agree with our partners in the affordable housing sector that the coastal zone needs a substantial increase in affordable housing. At the same time, as dedicated advocates for California’s coastal environment and the public’s legal rights to access and enjoy the coast, we remain vigilant against policy proposals that would undermine the Coastal Act by serving the wealthiest while eroding California’s hard-won protections for the marine environment, equitable public access, environmental justice, and sea level rise preparedness.
SB 484 offers an innovative solution by using an existing tool in the Coastal Act—categorical exclusions—to fast-track 100% affordable, multi-unit housing in already urbanized coastal areas. This smart, targeted approach helps coastal cities that have fallen behind on their affordable housing goals while preserving critical environmental protections and public coastal access.
Over the next decade, SB 484 will create a streamlined path to build the housing we need—without compromising California’s environmental legacy or the Coastal Act’s core values. The insights gained will help shape future coastal policies and improve how we plan for equity, resilience, and access along our coast.