Article: Should California Double Down on Building Tiny Homes for People Experiencing Homelessness? By Vannesa Rancao

See Mra He rrr Ree peeeinee Merry TIME Sree eer tr ener renee rner en Instructions Choose Option 1 or Option 2 below. Your memo should be five pages long, double- spaced, and divided into the following sections: |. Executive Summary (1 page) A concise overview of the memo's main points, including the issue at hand, the recommendation, and the rationale behind it. It should provide enough information for a busy reader to quickly and easily grasp the memo's essence. It is usually helpful to write the executive summary after you have written the other parts of the memo. IL. Introduction and Problem Statement (1.5 pages): The introduction provides the necessary background and context for the policy issue. It sets the stage by explaining why the issue (e.g., homelessness or housing affordability) is important and warrants attention, Understanding your audience is important so that you can provide adequate and concise background and context. Next, clearly define the specific issue you are addressing (.g., a supply-side solution to homelessness, or rethinking housing affordability measures). This section details the scope, significance, and impact of the problem and is supported by evidence and data illustrating why it is a pressing issue in need of a solution. It is crucial to understand the problem before attempting to concisely and effectively articulate it to others. Ill. Policy Options (1.5 pages) Analyze the policy under consideration by evaluating its benefits, drawbacks, feasibility, and likely impacts. Compare it to at least one alternative approach to the same problem. This section should help decision-makers understand the pros and cons of each option. lf you lack the necessary information to evaluate each alternative, use the data you have, which is perfectly acceptable for this exercise. IV. Recommendation (0.5 page) Present your preferred policy option. For example, should Califomia adopt the Terner Center's Expanded Affordability Index? Should the governor support bill SB 1395?. Explain why this option is the best solution, drawing on the analysis you conducted in Section Ill. Based on https://communicate.gse.harvard.edu/sites/projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/commiab/files/p_ olicy_memo_ writing writing services hgse_morelli.pdf OPTION 1 California's homelessness levels have reached an alarming scale. A recent report by Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation and other organizations shows that California's homelessness crisis is larger than in any other US state: 44 of every 10,000 Californians experience homelessness on a single nightabout two-and-half times higher than the rate for the nation overall (Terner Center et al, 2023). While unemployment, physical health conditions, disabilities, mental illness, and substance use can increase the risk of homelessness, California's particularly high housing costs are a central driver of its homelessness crisis. As the Temer Center (2023) notes: \"Places with higher housing costs tend to have higher rates of homelessness, and California's highest-in-the-nation homelessness rate coincides with its high housing costs compared to other states\". See figure below. re) 8 Califomia s 2 'Gregon Vermont, '4 - @ Washington es @ Maine @ 5 z ska\" New York g a oe 5 abet oP 2 : 0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 Median One-Bedroom Rent Source: Terner Center et al, 2023 As part of the many initiatives in the state to solve its homeless crisis, one has been particularly controversial: tiny homes. Tiny homes are individual, temporary accommodations intended to help keep people off the streets. Supporters argue that tiny homes offer a fast, cost-effective response to homelessness, while critics contend they represent a short-term solution that diverts public resources from prevention and long- term housing efforts. For more context, see this interesting article by Rancano (2024), Your Task Suppose you are senior policy advisor to Governor Newsom; you advise him on housing and urban development matters. He has asked for your recommendation on Bill SB 1395, a proposed law aimed at facilitating the development of tiny homes. Bill SB 1395" would enable tiny homes for homeless individuals to undergo a streamlined approval process and would provide California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions, allowing for expedited development. The Governor's question is: Should he sponsor this legislation as part of his administration's broader efforts to reduce homelessness in California?. You are to prepare a five-page memo that lays out: A summary of the nature of California's homelessness problem, according to current research Aconcrete example of a tiny home development project in California. Whether and how tiny homes could (or could not) contribute to solving the problem. e The pros and cons of tiny homes, particularly in relation to at least one other short- and long-term solutions to the homelessness problem. Your final recommendation on whether the Governor should support the Bill SB 1395