Elizabeth Olson and her son, Lucas, 2, in front of their newly-purchased home in the Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento Aug. 4. 2021. Olson hopes to renovate the house into a duplex to make room for her aunt and her partner, who currently live in the home. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters
Manuela TobiasCal MattersSpecial To Valley NewsOn a few of the vast, verdant lawns in East Sacramento, one of the capital city’s most popular and expensive neighborhoods, yellow-and-black yard signs urge passersby to “save neighborhoods” and keep Sacramento “livable and diverse.” The message symbolizes a big battle taking place at the state Capitol only a few miles away – whether to do away with sacrosanct single-family neighborhoods to address the California housing crisis.Senate Bill 9, one of several measures alluded to by the signs, would technically allow as many as two duplexes, two houses with attached units, or a combination – capped at four units – on single-family lots across California, without local approval.The bill would allow more buildi
