XPost: alt.fraud, alt.politics.republicans, talk.politics.guns
XPost: sac.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2025/08/31/opinion-californias-hidden- housing-tax-will-deepen-racial-economic-inequities/
California is home to some of the most diverse and vibrant communities in
the nation, but beneath that diversity lies a persistent and growing
inequality in housing access.
At Two Hundred for Homeownership we fight every day to break down the
systemic barriers that keep too many Californians from safe, stable, and affordable housing. We know firsthand that housing is more than a roof
over your head. It�s the foundation of health, education, opportunity, and dignity.
Yet across the state, deep racial and economic disparities persist. More
than half of Black and Latino renter households spend over 30% of their
income on rent, qualifying them as �rent-burdened.� Black homeownership is
just 36.6%, nearly 28 points below white households, while Latino
homeownership stands at 45.9%�18.5 points lower than white households.
For decades, low-income families and communities of color have fought to
hold onto their homes and neighborhoods. Now, a little-known provision
buried in the state budget threatens to make that fight even harder.
Tucked deep into the 137 pages of the housing bill passed by the
Legislature in June is language that will allow local governments and
regional agencies to impose �vehicle-miles traveled� fees on new housing construction. Marketed as environmental mitigation tools, VMT fees are in reality hidden housing taxes that will land squarely on renters, first-
time buyers, and working families.
The numbers are alarming. A Caltrans-funded study found these new taxes
could reach $16,200 per unit annually for 20 years � a staggering $324,000
for a single home or apartment. That�s the equivalent of slapping a $2 tax
on every mile driven over a government-set limit. For renters, that�s an
extra $1,350 every month � a 48% increase over California�s median rent.
For homebuyers, it�s on top of nearly $200,000 in state and local mandates already baked into the price of a new home.
Even more troubling, these costs don�t have to stay in the neighborhoods
paying them. Revenue from VMT taxes can be funneled into a statewide fund
with no guarantee of local benefit, meaning working-class communities
could be forced to subsidize projects miles away while their own housing
needs go unmet.
The harm won�t be felt equally. Black and Latino households who are
already more likely to rent, face displacement, or live in redevelopment- targeted areas which will be hit hardest. Families in rural and suburban
areas will also pay the price. In many of these communities, affordable
housing is increasingly located farther from job centers, forcing
residents to drive longer distances. Under these provisions, simply living farther from work becomes a penalty, and desperately needed housing
projects in these regions could be delayed or abandoned altogether.
Assembly Bill 130 gives local and regional agencies sole discretion to
impose these taxes, with no cap on how high they can go. There is no
public vote, no meaningful input from the families and communities who
will bear the cost. This uncertainty will stall construction, drive up
prices, and kill good-paying jobs in construction, engineering, and the
trades, further harming the very communities our state claims to
prioritize.
Housing is not just a commodity. It is the foundation of stability,
health, education, and opportunity. Every barrier we put between families
and a safe, affordable place to live is a step backward. Every time we add cost, delay, or uncertainty to housing construction, we widen the gap
between those who can afford to stay in their communities and those who
can�t.
We must pursue environmental and infrastructure goals without sacrificing equity or affordability. That starts with fixing the housing legislation
by removing these provisions and ultimately working together for solutions
that protect our climate, create jobs, and keep housing within reach for
all Californians � urban, suburban, and rural alike.
We ask legislators to fix the law as this hidden tax doesn�t move us
forward. It pushes working families further behind.
--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
forward to America being great again.
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Every day is an IQ test. Some pass, some, not so much.
Thank you for cleaning up the disasters of the 2008-2017, 2020-2024 Obama
/ Biden / Harris fiascos, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)