Author Archives: Tessa Zavala

What’s happening? Parking garages and lots have been used for restaurant and entertainment spaces during the pandemic. Now there is a potential to use pods, inexpensive living units that plug into parking structures as an effective way of dealing with housing shortages. Why is this important? Building affordable housing is expensive. The City of Los […]

What is happening?  Coachella Valley community will cover five acres and include 15 eco-friendly homes made from 3D-printed panels by Mighty Buildings. $595,000 with swimming pool and deck.  $850,000 with an added guest house. additional elements include high-tech Darwin wellness systems. Why is this important? 3D printing had been the purview of solving housing shortages […]

What’s happening? Governments, state and local, are trying to figure out how to handle monuments that are about the Confederacy. Why is this important? Because History is complex. Think of George Washington, who was critical to founding the US, but who also had sale How will this be important? Policy makers and decision makers want […]

What’s happening? MI is considering  House Bills 5752 and 5753 to regulate septic tanks. How is this important? This would be the first statewide regulation of septic tanks and required inspections for Michigan. Michigan’s Washtenaw County has a time of sale inspection requirement that revealed that 18% of septic systems were failing or near failing. Why is this […]

What’s happening? Utah legislators are considering SB 211 (2021 | UT) that will bar cities from prohibiting owner-occupied, short-term rentals. The author is motivated in part by HOA bans on short term rentals. Why is this important? Legislators are being asked who they trust more- local officials? state officials? or D.C.? How will this be […]

What’s happening? HB 63 (2021 | OH) would allow elected city officials and municipal legislative boards the ability to veto appropriations for use of a recreational trail, that uses eminent domain to obtain land, when the proposal was made by a public agency not elected by the public. Why is this important? Accountability in eminent […]

What’s happening? Los Angeles County is trying to figure out how to handle the purposeful ousting of a successful entrepreneurial Black couple whose land was taken away by the City of Manhattan Beach via eminent domain in the 1920s under the ruse of saying the city needed a park.  Why is this important? These acts […]

What’s happening? The Missouri House again passed a bill to prevent the use of private land for the Grain Belt Express power line without property owners’ permission. Why is this important? The supporting argument that gains traction here would apply to rail, pipelines and roads. The idea is that there should be no eminent domain […]

What’s happening? Arizona is considering SB 1379 (2021 | AZ) that walks back statewide preemption of local short term rental rules. The change of heart moves from the idea that short term rentals are a part of our property rights vs. more control over short term rentals because property rights include the use and enjoyment […]

What’s happening? Montana is considering SB 268 (2021 | MT) that would allow residents of a mobile home park to petition the local government to condemn the property, when the quality of life decreases at the property. The property owners will then take over the property. Why is this important? Moving ownership from one entity […]