California’s housing reforms have failed to produce the desired results due to sluggish production, rising home prices, and structural barriers, according to an opinion column in Governing, which argues that the state needs to take more aggressive action to address the housing shortage.
The Trump administration has withdrawn its request to maintain federal control over the California National Guard, returning command and control to Gov. Gavin Newsom, following a court ruling that the federalization of the National Guard was illegal.
California’s CARE Court, designed to help people with serious mental illnesses, has fallen short of expectations, leaving many families frustrated and desperate for help, while a new law set to take effect in January promises to expand the grave disability standard and open a new pathway to conservatorship.
California officials have announced the creation of 267 new affordable permanent supportive housing units across five projects statewide, funded by Proposition 1, a mental health and housing bond measure approved in 2023, with units reserved for veterans and people with behavioral health challenges.
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed six new judges to California Superior Courts in Tulare, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, all of whom are Democrats and will fill vacancies created by retirements or judicial elevations.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have secured a legal victory requiring the City of Huntington Beach to adopt a compliant housing element within 120 days and limiting the city’s land use authority until it does so.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced over $52 million in federal grants to support local housing, infrastructure and homelessness initiatives, funding 90 projects across 53 counties.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected President Trump’s emergency request to allow the deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles, leaving the lower court’s order in place and barring the deployment while the appeal proceeds.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom declared victory after the California Supreme Court declined to hear Huntington Beach’s appeal in a housing lawsuit, leaving intact a lower court ruling that subjects the city to court-ordered remedies for its prolonged refusal to comply with state housing law.
YIMBY Law has filed a lawsuit challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order suspending SB 9 in high fire hazard severity zones within the burn areas, arguing that it unlawfully undermines the state’s own housing laws, deepens the housing emergency created by the fires, and gives wealthy jurisdictions improper power to block modest infill housing.
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.
California has approved $1.1 billion in funding to expand zero-emission transit, repair storm-damaged highways, improve roadway safety, and strengthen infrastructure across the state, while advancing the state’s climate goals.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have launched a new online portal allowing members of the public to upload photos and videos of suspected unlawful activity by federal agents, in an effort to protect the rights and safety of Californians.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have joined a coalition of states suing the Trump administration over new restrictions placed on federal homelessness grants, arguing the policy is unlawful and will push tens of thousands of people back into homelessness.
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.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California’s public safety investments have resulted in a significant increase in arrests, prosecutions, and recovered stolen property, with over $190 million worth of stolen property recovered and 25,675 suspects arrested between October 2023 and June 2025.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to block the Trump administration’s federalization and deployment of the California National Guard, arguing that it is unlawful and violates the Posse Comitatus Act.
Governor Gavin Newsom praised the rulings of two federal judges who found that the Trump administration illegally withheld SNAP funds during the government shutdown, and urged the USDA to release all available funding for the program immediately.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California Highway Patrol crime suppression teams have made over 275 arrests, recovered over 520 stolen vehicles, and seized 34 illicit firearms in the Bay Area this year, resulting in a decrease in crime and an increase in public safety.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for unlawfully suspending SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown, which could leave 5.5 million Californians without essential food assistance.