General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: California housing crisis affecting middle class the most: It's 'a broken system' [View all]Sophia4
(3,515 posts)to someone who will build the apartments. It is community redevelopment -- and that law is no longer in California I believe.
http://www.dof.ca.gov/Programs/Redevelopment/
Taxes are not capped to 1978 amounts for people who buy. Property taxes continue to increase annually but at a specific, limited percentage of the purchase value for people once they have purchased the property. As I understand it, that limitation also applies to corporations for properties they already own -- at least it used to.
But people who buy houses now will pay the property tax on the purchase amount they paid for the house.
You are correct that a private party cannot directly exercise eminent domain. But they can and do offer high prices for properties and then build on them.