California is facing the WORST housing crisis in the United States
Visible homelessness is out of control.
One of the reason California is in this mess? Most cities use zoning to require single family homes. Multi-story housing is significantly cheaper to build than single family homes. Yet most California cities ban multifamily housing.
Take for instance Los Angeles. The pink area is single-family homes ONLY:
That's right. The second biggest US city doesn't allow multi-story housing in a majority of its land.
Texas is run by a bunch of religious weirdos. Yet they don't have a housing crisis. You know why? Because these religious weirdos are building housing at over twice the rate of California:
In 2020, a California state senator named Senator Scott Wiener introduced a bill to change zoning rules
His bill would have automatically allowed multi-story housing near train stations, metro stations, bus lines and schools. This is not a radical proposal. This is common sense.
California politicians killed the bill.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/business/economy/sb50-california-housing.html
Today, he is trying again.
Bill SB-79 will make it legal to build more multi-family housing near rail stations and rapid bus lines, including in areas where such homes are currently illegal.
https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb79
Housing experts support the bill 🏘️
Transit agencies support the bill 🚍
Amtrak supports the bill 🚆
Yet some angry homeowners are now calling their politicians, urging them to kill this bill again 🤦
Take for instance columnist Steve Williams:
Recently, powerful Senator Josh Becker - who represents Menlo Park, Mountain View and Palo Alto - said he changed his mind. His constituents want to kill affordable housing:
Why is LA spending money to build metro stations in the middle of fucking nowhere 🤨?!
More housing near transit is a great idea.
If bill SB-79 is killed, this will be a huge defeat from the transit system and affordable housing.
https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/04/committee-chairs-housing-policy/
There is a fucking housing WAR happening right now. If you don't fight this war, young people, renters, transit users, and new home buyers will lose.
Please call your representatives. Tell them to support Bill-S79:
I've been in California's central Valley frequently in the summer and no thanks. Trying to get a mobile out by the coast for the same price