Fact Check: CA Senate passes bill to let LA buy fire-destroyed lots for low-income housing
What We Know
Recently, a claim circulated that the California Senate passed a bill allowing Los Angeles County to purchase fire-destroyed lots for the purpose of creating low-income housing. This claim stems from the passage of Senate Bill 549 (SB 549), which indeed aims to establish a "Resilient Rebuilding Authority" in Los Angeles County to facilitate the rebuilding of areas affected by the January 2025 wildfires (source-1). The bill allows the authority to buy fire-damaged properties and aims to streamline the rebuilding process. However, it does not explicitly authorize the conversion of these lots into low-income housing. Instead, the focus is on returning properties to their original owners at a discounted price (source-2).
The bill was misinterpreted in various social media posts and news articles, which conflated its provisions with existing laws regarding affordable housing financing (source-2). While SB 549 does include language that references affordable housing, it does not create a mechanism for the direct conversion of fire-damaged lots into low-income housing. Instead, it prioritizes the replacement of lost housing for original residents (source-2).
Analysis
The claim that SB 549 allows LA County to buy fire-destroyed lots specifically for low-income housing is misleading. The bill's primary intent is to facilitate the rebuilding of homes for those who lost them in the wildfires, not to create new low-income housing developments. According to Senator Ben Allen, the bill's author, "There was no mechanism to allow the County to buy fire-ravaged lots for the purpose of converting them to new affordable or low-income housing" (source-2).
Moreover, while some sources have reported on the bill's provisions regarding affordable housing, they often fail to clarify that these provisions are not directly related to the lots purchased under SB 549. For instance, the bill includes language from SB 961, which mandates that a percentage of funds from certain areas be allocated for affordable housing projects (source-2). This has led to confusion and misinterpretation of the bill's actual provisions.
The reliability of the sources discussing this claim varies. News outlets like Los Angeles Magazine and Snopes provide thorough analyses and clarify the misinterpretations surrounding the bill (source-2, source-4). In contrast, some social media posts and less reputable news sources have propagated the misleading narrative without sufficient context or verification (source-3, source-6).
Conclusion
The claim that the California Senate passed a bill allowing Los Angeles County to buy fire-destroyed lots specifically for low-income housing is False. While SB 549 does establish a framework for purchasing fire-damaged properties, it does not authorize their conversion into low-income housing. Instead, the bill focuses on rebuilding efforts aimed at returning properties to their original owners and does not alter zoning laws to facilitate new low-income housing developments.
Sources
- SB 549 (Allen)
- Breaking down claim California bill would allow LA County ...
- CA bill to let LA buy fire-destroyed lots for low-income housing
- CA Bill Lets LA Build Low-Income Housing on Fire ...
- Senate Bill that would have turned lost Pacific Palisades ...
- California bill SB549 lets state seize fire-damaged land. 40% ...
- Conspiracy theories thwart rebuilding plan after L.A. ...
- CA Bill to Let LA Buy Fire-Destroyed Lots for Low-Income ...
