Code Section

31411.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The right of access to the coast is guaranteed to the people of California by the California Constitution and the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000)), which requires that coastal development be regulated, and public access rights to our state’s beaches be protected.

(b) California’s Parks Forward Commission has emphasized the need to expand access to parks and public lands throughout California to ensure that all Californians and visitors to the state, including those from low-income and underserved communities, are able to benefit from outdoor experiences.

(c) Lower cost accommodations, including hotels, motels, hostels, cabins, and camping opportunities, are essential elements of coastal and park access because they enable Californians and visitors from a variety of backgrounds, including those of low and moderate income, to enjoy California’s beaches and parks and experience the full range of recreational, educational, spiritual, and other experiences offered.

(d) A lack of affordable accommodations remains a barrier to coastal access. California’s historic supply of lower cost coastal accommodations has been reduced, and continues to be diminished, as a result of high coastal property values and economic pressures to develop new coastal accommodations that are too expensive to be affordable to most visitors.

(e) California should invest in new strategies and partnerships to improve the availability of lower cost accommodations along the coast, particularly for low-income and middle-income families. A strategic program to provide affordable accommodations in appropriate areas of our coastal parks and public lands can play an important role in improving public access to the coast. California should also support innovative pilot projects that enable the state to partner with nonprofit organizations and the private sector in order to provide coastal access.