Housing

Housing prices in California have skyrocketed, and too many families are being left behind by a system that rewards greed and makes it too complicated and expensive to build more housing that is affordable. I have two adult children and I worry that they will not be able to afford to stay and raise their own families someday here in California. I know I am not alone. 

We can’t leave families vulnerable while we try to build our way out of this housing crisis, which is why I helped author and pass a strongest-in-the-nation rent control law to protect Californians from unjust evictions and obscene rent increases. And last year, I fought to secure $350 million for construction of new affordable homes and downpayment assistance programs.This was an important step forward in addressing the cost of housing. However, none of this work will ever be enough if we don’t do something to make it easier and cheaper to build new affordable housing in California.

The costs of building new housing in our state are way too high. I fought for a statewide study on fees to be conducted, and from that study we learned that fees being assessed on new housing development were keeping projects from being built. In response, I authored a series of new laws that would lower the costs associated with new construction, making housing more affordable for future homebuyers. As a general contractor I know that time is money, and I have also passed laws to increase transparency in the permitting process and make it easier to get needed housing built quicker.  I am committed to continuing to reduce the cost of housing and increase the speed of new, needed construction,and I have put forward new proposals that ensure cost reduction while maintaining robust environmental and safety protections.