More than 12,000 vehicles have been stolen this year in Oakland, where the thefts are on a dramatic rise. Car thefts in Oakland have increased by 49% since last year, Oakland Police Department data from this fall shows, a jump that has put some residents on edge. The neighborhoods with the highest rates of car thefts include Hegenberger, Coliseum, and Lakeside — with 1,815, 300 and 298 cases, respectively. Gilligan Brown, who has lived in Oakland for more than 25…
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Wednesday that allows churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious organizations along with nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their properties. The bill, SB4, introduced by State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, allows religious organizations to build housing without conducting environmental reviews, receiving approval from local governments or requesting zoning changes. “It’s simple math — California needs to build more housing and ensure the housing we have is affordable,” Newsom said in a statement. “In partnership with the Legislature,…