SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO.11

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER LOH

(COAUTHOR: SENIOR SENATOR EPSTEIN)

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AP 11: SENIOR RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS.

UNDER EXISTING LAW, A PLANNING AGENCY IS CREATED IN EACH CITY AND COUNTY, AND EACH PLANNING AGENCY AND CITY AND COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BODY IS REQUIRED TO ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE, LONG-TERM GENERAL PLAN. EXISTING LAW REQUIRES THAT THESE PLANS INCLUDE A HOUSING ELEMENT.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE HOUSING ELEMENTS OF GENERAL PLANS THROUGHOUT THE STATE BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE SENIORS AS A SPECIAL POPULATION CATEGORY WITH DEFINABLE RESIDENTIAL NEEDS THAT MAY BE SERVED BY HOUSING CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPECIFIED PRINCIPLES, KNOWN AS UNIVERSAL DESIGN, AND THAT 5 PERCENT OF NEW RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS BE CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE DESIGN PRINCIPLES.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 11: RELATING TO SENIOR RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS

WHEREAS, A LARGE AND DISTINCT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION, COMMONLY TERMED “BABY BOOMERS,” BORN BETWEEN 1946 AND 1964, WILL LIKELY BE THE LONGEST-LIVED GENERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AND THEY ARE PREDICTED TO REMAIN ACTIVE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION FOR ONE OR MORE DECADES LONGER THAN ANY PRECEDING GENERATION; AND

WHEREAS, A SIGNIFICANT AND QUANTIFIABLE ELEMENT OF THE BABY BOOMER POPULATION WILL SEEK SPECIALIZED RESIDENTIAL DWELLING ACCOMMODATIONS; AND

WHEREAS, THE PRINCIPLES OF “UNIVERSAL DESIGN,” A TERM COINED BY RONALD MACE, AIM TO DESIGN PRODUCTS AND ENVIRONMENTS TO BE USABLE BY ALL PEOPLE, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ADAPTATION OR SPECIALIZED DESIGN; AND

WHEREAS, THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN CAN BE APPLIED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS IN CALIFORNIA TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF ACTIVE SENIORS WHO WISH TO REMAIN PARTICIPANTS IN THE GENERAL MIXED POPULATION AND, IN TURN, PROVIDE APPROPRIATE HOUSING FOR THE BABY—BOOMER POPULATION AS THEY AGE; AND

WHEREAS, THE CONSTRUCTION OF RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN WILL AVOID SEGREGATING OR STIGMATIZING SENIORS WHO DESIRE AND ARE FULLY ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION; AND

WHEREAS, CURRENT REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSING ELEMENTS IN GENERAL PLANS MAY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE DISABLED, HANDICAPPED, AND AGED, BUT THESE REQUIREMENTS FOCUS ON SENIORS LIVING IN VARIOUS GROUPED RESIDENCES AND INSTITUTIONS, NOT ACTIVE SENIORS LIVING IN THE GENERAL POPULATION; AND

WHEREAS, RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIVERSAL DESIGN ARE PROFITABLE FOR BUILDERS, EASY TO MARKET, SOCIALLY PROGRESSIVE, ETHICALLY RESPONSIBLE, AND POLITICALLY DESIRABLE, PRESENTING A WIN-WIN FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED; AND

WHEREAS, LOCAL AND SMALL SCALE EFFORTS CURRENTLY EXIST TO RETROFIT EXISTING DWELLINGS TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF SENIORS LIVING IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, BUT THE NEED IS OF A GREATER MAGNITUDE THAN THIS METHOD CAN ADDRESS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2006 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE HOUSING ELEMENTS OF GENERAL PLANS THROUGHOUT THE STATE SHALL INCLUDE SENIORS AS A SPECIAL POPULATION CATEGORY WITH DEFINABLE RESIDENTIAL NEEDS THAT MAY BE SERVED BY HOUSING CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT HOUSING ELEMENTS OF GENERAL PLANS THROUGHOUT THE STATE SHALL REQUIRE THAT 5 PERCENT OF NEW RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS BE CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN20061906006

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