Livable California is a NIMBY group in California known for advocating against increased housing supply and for local control. [1] [2] [3] The organization disputes the existence of the California housing shortage. [4] The organization was founded by Marin County-based activist Susan Kirsch. [2] [5]
Livable California was founded in 2018 by Marin County-based activist and former teacher Susan Kirsch [6] and former oil and gas executive Rick Hall of San Francisco. [2] [7] They organized in opposition to Senator Scott Wiener’s housing development bill SB 827, helping to defeat it. [2] The group also opposed subsequent iterations of the bill, such as SB 50, which would permit fourplexes in most neighborhoods exclusively zoned for single-family housing and mid-rises near public transit stations. [7] [8]
Susan Kirsch started in anti-housing activism when she successfully prevented a 20-unit apartment building in her neighborhood. [5] Kirsch self-describes as a proponent for "slow growth", [5] [6] and disputes that California is experiencing a housing crisis. [2] Other members of Livable California describe themselves as proponents for "sensible" development, "smart growth" or "preservationists". [2] What unifies Livable California members is opposition to high-density housing development [2] and support for single-family-exclusive zoning. [7]
In 2018, California NIMBYs created an umbrella organization, Livable California.
Marin County-based activist and founder of Livable California Susan Kirsch sees no problem with the NIMBY moniker.
anti-development members of the NIMBY camp—many of whom are allied with nonprofit organizations like Livable California