PROPOSED HOUSING MORATORIUMS: GREAT IDEA OR MADNESS?

The Bay Area Council is responding quickly to a troubling move by several Bay Area cities to impose moratoriums on new housing. After the Council voiced its strong opposition to a proposed moratorium in Emeryville, the City Council last Friday (Feb. 20) narrowly rejected the plan. A similar proposal emerged this week in San Francisco and the issue has also surfaced in Walnut Creek. With the region experiencing a major housing shortage and affordability crisis, the Bay Area Council believes that halting housing construction is bad policy. Moratorium backers express concern about the impact of rapid housing development in their communities. In a letter to the Emeryville City Council, the Bay Area Council said “a moratorium will not bring down costs or ease displacement concerns; in fact by further restricting new supply this proposal will have the exact opposite effect, further pushing up prices and forcing more longtime residents out.” The Council is convening a region-wide summit on the issue of housing moratoriums. Stay tuned for details. To engage in our housing policy work, contact Senior Vice President Matt Regan.