Gov. Gavin Newsom made housing production a priority during his gubernatorial campaign and in his first year in office, promising to build 3.5 million homes statewide by 2025 to address California’s housing crisis.
A year later, Newsom said his government has “set the table” on housing issues, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. He also gave a preview of what’s on tap for next year.
Building more housing continues to be a priority for next year, he told the Times. Newsom said lawmakers are looking to “take aspects of SB 50 that we think we can help navigate through [the state legislature].”
Senate Bill 50, which has been debated for two year, would allow for more dense housing near transit stations. A Senate committee spiked it in May, after opponents said it took too much power away from municipalities.
When asked if his government planned to subsidize more housing or commit more money to address the state’s housing crisis, Newsom pointed to $2.75 billion in funding authorized last year to local governments to address housing. But, he added, that it’s “the private sector that has to be stimulated.”
“It’s creating the conditions for billions and billions of dollars in private-sector investment. That’s the fundamental piece that’s missing,” he said. The recently-passed statewide rent control law also addresses the housing affordability crisis, he told the Times.
Newsom reiterated his commitment to building 3.5 million homes by 2025, but called it a “stretch goal” and said that the state would soon release “different, pragmatic, regional [housing] goals,” for the short and medium term. [LAT] — Dennis Lynch