Livable California is a NIMBY group in California known for advocating against increased housing supply and for local control.[1][2][3] The organization disputes the existence of the California housing shortage.[4] The organization was founded by Marin County-based activist Susan Kirsch.[2][5]
Livable California was founded in 2018 by Marin County-based activist and former teacher Susan Kirsch[6] and former oil and gas executive Rick Hall of San Francisco.[2][7] They organized in opposition to Senator Scott Wiener’s housing development bill SB 827, helping to defeat it.[2] The group also opposed subsequent iterations of the bill, such as SB 50, which would permit fourplexes in most neighborhoods exclusively zoned for single-family housing and mid-rises near public transit stations.[7][8]
Susan Kirsch started in anti-housing activism when she successfully prevented a 20-unit apartment building in her neighborhood.[5] Kirsch self-describes as a proponent for "slow growth",[5][6] and disputes that California is experiencing a housing crisis.[2] Other members of Livable California describe themselves as proponents for "sensible" development, "smart growth" or "preservationists".[2] What unifies Livable California members is opposition to high-density housing development[2] and support for single-family-exclusive zoning.[7]
Susan Kirsch left the board of Livable California in 2019.[5]
References
edit- ^ Ellickson, Robert C. (2022). America's Frozen Neighborhoods: The Abuse of Zoning. Yale University Press. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-300-26856-0.
In 2018, California NIMBYs created an umbrella organization, Livable California.
- ^ a b c d e f g Perigo, Sasha (2020-02-20). "Who are the Bay Area's NIMBYs—and what do they want?". Curbed SF.
Marin County-based activist and founder of Livable California Susan Kirsch sees no problem with the NIMBY moniker.
- ^ ""Housing Is a Human Right": Moms for Housing's Black Feminist Politics of Shelter". Public Culture. 2022. doi:10.1215/08992363-9937354.
anti-development members of the NIMBY camp—many of whom are allied with nonprofit organizations like Livable California
- ^ "Twilight of the NIMBY". New York Times. 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Sue The Suburbs: One Nonprofit's Plan To Solve The Housing Crisis". CBS News. 2019-09-30.
- ^ a b "She Disagreed With Everything He Wrote About Housing. They Had Coffee". New York Times. 2022.
- ^ a b c Group, Marisa Kendall | Bay Area News (2020-01-26). "Inside Livable California's fight for single-family neighborhoods". The Mercury News.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "California, Mired in a Housing Crisis, Rejects an Effort to Ease It". New York Times. 2020.