By Becca Whitnall for the Thousand Oaks Acorn
A bill making its way through the state Legislature could restore redevelopment agencies in the name of addressing California’s housing crisis.
Assembly Bill 3037, dubbed the Redevelopment Law of 2018 and backed by local Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Camarillo), would reestablish the city-controlled agencies with new restrictions to prevent the graft and abuse that helped hasten their demise.
“As mayor of Thousand Oaks, I saw how redevelopment agencies directly benefited local communities,” Irwin said. “From 2000 to 2010, we received an annual average of $19.24 million to build affordable housing and spur economic development.”