Housing
Blog
Beyond trailer parks: Modular housing can boost affordability
The nation enjoys a “very high rate of economic activity,” yet “housing construction hasn’t been high.” Inflation’s a major factor — “land is several times more expensive than it’s been in the past,” and costs for “materials have gone way up.” Paradoxically, “we’ve been losing ground in meeting housing needs ...
Blog
Santa Barbara needs more housing, not more decrees
Santa Barbara needs more housing, not more decrees Rent control is a bad idea politicians just can’t let go of. From Santa Monica to New York City, cities have discovered time and again that government decree is no guarantee of housing affordability. But that hasn’t stopped California cities like Pasadena, ...
Blog
Proposed $10 billion housing bond will only burden California cities
California’s housing overhaul has been so extensive — 45 bills signed last October alone by Gov. Gavin Newsom — the results won’t be clear for years. Even so, voters this November 3 may get to decide on another $10 billion in housing bonds. That’s from the Affordable Housing Bond Act ...
Blog
Infill rules help, but growth boundaries remain a housing obstacle
The “landmark” measure — imposed at the behest of environmentalists and agricultural interests — was designed to stop urban sprawl, protect open space and promote transit use. “Observing the loss of farmland and greenspaces, as well as poorly planned development in other states, Oregonians saw that they could no longer ...
Blog
Can 3D printers help solve the housing-affordability crisis?
Can 3D printers help solve the housing-affordability crisis? by Kerry Jackson | March 27, 2026 The best thinkers have been unable to solve California’s housing crisis, not because their ideas haven’t had merit, but due to policymakers’ resistance to reasonable reform. Technology, though, might soon override the obstructionists. A recent study published by ...
Blog
California needs more oversight, not another homeless agency
California needs more oversight, not another homeless agency By Sarah Downey | March 20, 2026 As California continues to struggle with homelessness, state leaders are rebranding the bureaucracy by rolling out a different agency with many of the same players and goals. This comes after a series of distressing audits ...
California
Building more is the key to affordability
California policymakers are obsessed with boosting “affordable housing,” which makes sense when housing in the state is out of reach to a large portion of its residents. They’re trying to solve the problem from the wrong end, though. The supply of affordable housing is best expanded not by focusing on ...
Blog
California cities struggling to implement latest housing law
California cities struggling to implement latest housing law By John Seiler | March 19, 2026 Since 2017, the California Legislature has passed and governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom have signed about 215 housing-related bills. There’s no master list. But the Terner Center at UC Berkeley tallied almost 100 from ...
Blog
California Risks Deepening Home Insurance Crisis with Latest Bills
One measure, Senate Bill 876, would establish accelerated timelines for insurers to pay the cash value of both damaged property and associated replacement costs in the event of an emergency. Residential property insurance policies would have to offer at least 50% extra replacement coverage beyond the policy’s stated limit. To ...
Blog
Another Tax That Backfired
Passed in 2022 by nearly 58% of Angeleno voters, Measure ULA initially imposes an additional 4% tax on the sales of any homes or commercial properties, not just mansions, valued at more than $5.3 million. The rate on sales of properties sold at more than $10.6 million rises to 5.5%. The dollars coming in are dedicated ...
Beyond trailer parks: Modular housing can boost affordability
The nation enjoys a “very high rate of economic activity,” yet “housing construction hasn’t been high.” Inflation’s a major factor — “land is several times more expensive than it’s been in the past,” and costs for “materials have gone way up.” Paradoxically, “we’ve been losing ground in meeting housing needs ...
Santa Barbara needs more housing, not more decrees
Santa Barbara needs more housing, not more decrees Rent control is a bad idea politicians just can’t let go of. From Santa Monica to New York City, cities have discovered time and again that government decree is no guarantee of housing affordability. But that hasn’t stopped California cities like Pasadena, ...
Proposed $10 billion housing bond will only burden California cities
California’s housing overhaul has been so extensive — 45 bills signed last October alone by Gov. Gavin Newsom — the results won’t be clear for years. Even so, voters this November 3 may get to decide on another $10 billion in housing bonds. That’s from the Affordable Housing Bond Act ...
Infill rules help, but growth boundaries remain a housing obstacle
The “landmark” measure — imposed at the behest of environmentalists and agricultural interests — was designed to stop urban sprawl, protect open space and promote transit use. “Observing the loss of farmland and greenspaces, as well as poorly planned development in other states, Oregonians saw that they could no longer ...
Can 3D printers help solve the housing-affordability crisis?
Can 3D printers help solve the housing-affordability crisis? by Kerry Jackson | March 27, 2026 The best thinkers have been unable to solve California’s housing crisis, not because their ideas haven’t had merit, but due to policymakers’ resistance to reasonable reform. Technology, though, might soon override the obstructionists. A recent study published by ...
California needs more oversight, not another homeless agency
California needs more oversight, not another homeless agency By Sarah Downey | March 20, 2026 As California continues to struggle with homelessness, state leaders are rebranding the bureaucracy by rolling out a different agency with many of the same players and goals. This comes after a series of distressing audits ...
Building more is the key to affordability
California policymakers are obsessed with boosting “affordable housing,” which makes sense when housing in the state is out of reach to a large portion of its residents. They’re trying to solve the problem from the wrong end, though. The supply of affordable housing is best expanded not by focusing on ...
California cities struggling to implement latest housing law
California cities struggling to implement latest housing law By John Seiler | March 19, 2026 Since 2017, the California Legislature has passed and governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom have signed about 215 housing-related bills. There’s no master list. But the Terner Center at UC Berkeley tallied almost 100 from ...
California Risks Deepening Home Insurance Crisis with Latest Bills
One measure, Senate Bill 876, would establish accelerated timelines for insurers to pay the cash value of both damaged property and associated replacement costs in the event of an emergency. Residential property insurance policies would have to offer at least 50% extra replacement coverage beyond the policy’s stated limit. To ...
Another Tax That Backfired
Passed in 2022 by nearly 58% of Angeleno voters, Measure ULA initially imposes an additional 4% tax on the sales of any homes or commercial properties, not just mansions, valued at more than $5.3 million. The rate on sales of properties sold at more than $10.6 million rises to 5.5%. The dollars coming in are dedicated ...