Housing: A Delicate Balance
Updated: May 5, 2022
Nevada City is a great place to live, work, and visit because we have worked hard to make it so. We mustn't sacrifice our small town's unique charm to the simple theory that more housing means cheaper housing. We can grow without giving up what drew us here in the first place.
The housing issue breaks down into four competing pressures:
We must provide affordable housing. We have room for new development.
Yet the California housing market keeps pushing the price of new housing up.
Senate Bill 9 seeks to relieve that pressure by eliminating single-family zoning. Any lot can be split and units added without public hearing.
Unchecked, that solution would overtax our water, sewer, traffic, and parking.
We cannot grow beyond our physical capacity to serve our citizens. We have a balanced housing plan already in place: the Housing Element of our Strategic Plan. We need to stick with it.
The State has allotted us our fair share of affordable housing. With Cashin's Field coming on line, we are ahead of most municipalities in low- and very low-income housing. We must make quicker progress on moderate-income units.
We must make certain every unit counts toward our allotment. Any approved affordable housing project must make sure the units remain affordable in the long run.
All new housing projects must be designed to fit their neighborhoods.
We are on track to meet our fair share of affordable housing. We can do that and still keep our town's unique character.
