City governments are motivated to build high density housing developments because they meet the increasing demand for affordable housing and the property taxes that they generate contribute to a city’s revenue. But this creates obvious problems, which can only worsen if the proliferation of high density housing continues unabated. High density housing is an alternative to urban sprawl, but will also increase traffic, regardless of the development’s proximity to public transit or retail businesses. I am perplexed by the rationale of South Bay city governments that have simply allowed this proliferation of high density housing. California is in a drought; schools are overcrowded; city services are over-burdened; and our roads and highways are gridlocked. Our state and city leaders must find alternative ways to address the ever-increasing population in our state, rather than simply keeping up with demand for housing by building as many high density housing projects as possible.
