upper waypoint

‘A Big First Step’: Bay Area Cities Are Rethinking Single-Family Zoning

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Housing in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2020. In San Francisco, nearly three-quarters of all residential land is devoted to single-family homes and duplexes.  (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

The single-family neighborhood has been foundational to American housing policy for decades. It’s also been a tool to keep Black and brown people out of homeownership, and is one reason why there isn’t nearly enough housing overall.

This policy has deep roots in the Bay Area. But now, a handful of cities are rethinking it, and allowing developers to build “fourplexes” in these areas.

A change like this won’t solve the housing crisis overnight, and it won’t bring down rents unless it’s paired with other protections. But it is a big first step.

Guest: Erin Baldassari, KQED housing affordability reporter and co-host of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America

Episode transcript here

Sponsored

Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.

lower waypoint
next waypoint
California Law Letting Property Owners Split Lots to Build New Homes Is 'Unconstitutional,' Judge RulesAlameda: The Island That Almost Wasn’tJust Days Left to Apply for California Program That Helps Pay for Your First HouseIn Fresno’s Chinatown, High-Speed Rail Sparks Hope and Debate Within ResidentsFresno's Chinatown Neighborhood To See Big Changes From High Speed RailRainn Wilson from ‘The Office’ on Why We Need a Spiritual RevolutionIs California Headed For Another Tax Revolt?Will Less Homework Stress Make California Students Happier?NPR's Sarah McCammon on Leaving the Evangelical ChurchState Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some Workers