A coalition of housing, transit, and land-use advocacy organizations has called upon the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to revise its proposed methodology for implementing Senate Bill 79. The groups contend that the regional planning agency’s approach conflicts with state law and guidance issued by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Tom Steyer has received endorsements from two major housing advocacy organizations, YIMBY Action and Abundant Housing LA, for his plan to address California’s housing crisis and expand affordability statewide.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the opening of 187 affordable homes in East Hollywood and the securing of financing for 85 new affordable units in San Francisco, both of which are part of the state’s Cap-and-Invest program to reduce emissions, improve public health, and expand access to housing.
Builtech Construction has broken ground on an 850-square-foot ADU in San Jose, California, using insulated concrete form construction, marking one of the first projects in the region built to Type IA fire-resistance standards, reflecting a growing emphasis on noncombustible construction as fire threats evolve across the state.
California’s housing affordability crisis is driven by a shortage of homes and a political system that has made it too difficult to build them, according to Bowman Cutter, who says state and local leaders must confront supply constraints if they want rents and home prices to fall.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general to oppose a proposed federal housing rule that could strip assistance from mixed-status immigrant families, warning it may lead to widespread evictions and increased housing instability.
The California Civil Rights Department is opposing a federal housing proposal that would deny eligible families housing assistance if they live with an ineligible household member due to immigration status, warning it would disproportionately affect immigrant communities and potentially lead to family separation and eviction.
AB 2074, a California housing proposal, would accelerate high-rise residential development in the state’s largest and most transit-rich cities by providing faster approvals, clearer zoning standards, and a new state-backed financing tool to help projects that have struggled to move forward.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced an additional $145.4 million in funding for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program to eight California regions, expanding the state’s effort to reduce homelessness through housing placements, supportive services and local interventions.
YIMBY Law is appealing a Marin County Superior Court decision that upheld Sausalito’s Housing Element, arguing that the ruling leaves unresolved a key legal question about whether Housing Elements must undergo environmental review under state law.
The National Housing Law Project has praised the introduction of AB 2128, legislation designed to protect federally assisted tenants and local housing providers from potential federal policy changes that could result in families losing their housing.
California’s state housing laws are beginning to generate housing, with 20 large proposed or master-planned housing developments across the state representing over 273,000 housing units, demonstrating the state’s efforts to address the housing crisis.
A new proposal to build 768 housing units in downtown San Jose adds to California’s growing housing development pipeline, demonstrating that large, high-yield projects are needed to close the state’s housing production gap.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced over $865 million in new housing, transportation, and climate-resilience investments funded by payments from major polluters under California’s cap-and-invest program, which will support thousands of new affordable homes, major green transportation upgrades, and community-level climate resilience projects.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has appointed Assemblymember Buffy Wicks to chair a newly created Select Committee on Housing Construction Innovation to examine ways to reduce housing costs, speed construction, and align housing production with the state’s climate goals.
Despite the passage of dozens of new laws, California’s housing crisis remains far from solved, but the foundation for a new housing era has been laid and progress is being made through small projects and a shift in the political culture to favor building rather than blocking.
California’s 2025 legislative session delivered meaningful progress on housing, but mounting regulatory and cost barriers continue to undermine the state’s competitiveness, according to Orange County Business Council President and CEO Jeffrey Ball.
California has quietly shifted its housing policy over the past five years to favor housing production, with CEQA reform, SB 423’s continued streamlining, Prohousing incentives, and an empowered HCD now working to strip away red tape and encourage more housing production.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two housing bills, SB 786 and SB 808, aimed at cutting red tape and accelerating housing construction, which will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 79, which cuts red tape, holds local governments accountable, and expands access to affordable housing near public transportation stops, in order to reduce costs, strengthen transit systems, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.