Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week we are urging our California State Senators to pass and send to the governor AB 2097 (Friedman) that would prohibit public agencies from imposing or enforcing parking minimums on new developments within ½ mile of a major transit stop, such as along a light rail transit (LRT) line or bus rapid transit (BRT) line.

Minimum parking requirements increase the cost of housing both directly by adding to construction costs and indirectly by decreasing the amount of housing builders propose, which contributes to the housing shortage that is pushing up prices. Parking requirements skew our transportation system towards cars and away from sustainable alternatives like walking, cycling and public transit. Cities often require more parking than people can actually use. American Community Survey data show that 42% of households in Los Angeles County have no vehicle or only one vehicle available, but zoning codes often require two or more spaces per home, forcing people to pay higher rent to cover parking spots they can’t even use. With AB 2097, off-street parking can still be built, and homebuilders will likely include it in many cases, based on market demand, it just can’t be required by local governments, with some exceptions.

The bill prohibits residential and commercial parking requirements within ½ a mile of a major transit stop, like a rail or bus rapid transit station, with some exceptions. Cities could opt out and still require parking if they can make certain findings, like that no parking requirements would negatively impact affordable housing production, housing for the elderly, housing for persons with disabilities or street parking in the area. However, the city opt out wouldn’t apply to developments with fewer than 20 homes or developments where at least 20% of the homes are affordable to low or moderate-income households or reserved for students, the elderly or persons with disabilities. The bill would also explicitly grant the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the Attorney General enforcement authority over these provisions.

AB 2097 represents meaningful progress over the status quo. Parking requirements are holding us back from creating the affordable, sustainable cities we so desperately need.

Options to Take Action:

1. Sign on to the letters at the Action Table outside the church on Sunday morning.
2. Download a copy of the Action Letter that you can sign and mail.
3. Participate in the action at the Abundant Housing LA website .

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If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblymember check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.