At tomorrow’s (September 27, 2022) 10 a.m. meeting of County Supervisors in San Bernardino, the board will hold a public hearing and likely vote on adding something called the Draft Housing Element, or DHE, to the County General Plan. Once adopted, this Housing Element will be the ‘go-to’ guide for decision-making on housing in the county until the next update in 2030. A coalition of community groups has raised concerns that the policy document fails to address the impacts that an unlimited number of Short Term Vacation Rentals is having on the local housing market, particularly in the unincorporated areas.
The issue is that Short Term Vacation Rentals are a major cause of rising rents and shrinking availability of rental housing here and the impacts are being felt in declining school enrollment, workforce availability, neighborhood integrity, noise, trash, traffic, and more.
A coalition of groups is urging the county to cap Short Term Rental permits while they undertake a ‘public planning process and study.’ Without public pressure, supervisors are unlikely to initiate such a process. Today is the last day to register your comments online via email to [email protected]
Public comment will be taken tomorrow during the Board of Supervisor’s meeting in San Bernardino or live at the video conferencing facility at the County Building in Joshua Tree.
The following applies to meetings:
(1) The public may view the Board Meeting live stream at
http://www.sbcounty.gov/Main/Pages/ViewMeetings.aspx
(2) If you wish to submit a comment for a specific agenda item or a general public comment prior to the Board meeting, send comments via U.S. Mail*, email at [email protected] or online at
http://www.sbcounty.gov/cob/publiccomments/default.aspx
Comments received prior to the start of the meeting will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for review;
Any person interested in viewing or addressing the Board during a meeting by interactive video may do so at the Bob Burke Joshua Tree Government Center, 63665 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Joshua Tree.
