What matters to me today is: Ca Gov on Housing: Past is Prologue
When Gavin Newsom took office, he pledged that California would produce 3.5 million new homes by 2025. It was breathtakingly ambitious. But it was not naïve. Newsom knew California’s regulatory, political and economic obstacles—and made the commitment anyway.
He failed miserably.
That is not an indictment of Newsom. It is a warning to voters.
Newsom has repeatedly professed commitment to addressing California’s housing crisis, including his announcement this week fast-tracking another 1,700 affordable units. Yet even a determined governor, armed with enormous political capital, could not come remotely close to his original promise.
Past is prologue.
As Californians choose our next governor, we should demand more than another round of housing promises. Ask each candidate:
- Why couldn’t Newsom do it?
- What structural barriers defeated his ambition?
- Which will you remove?
- What specifically will you do differently?
And this November, Proposition 45—a sweeping measure sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce to reform the California Environmental Quality Act—is on the ballot. CEQA has long been identified by critics and supporters alike as one of California’s significant regulatory impediments to producing housing.
So, ask the gubernatorial candidates:
- Do you support Proposition 45?
- If not, do you believe CEQA impedes housing production?
- If so, what reforms would you enact instead?
California does not lack promises to solve housing. Before accepting the next ones at face value, demand specifics.
That’s what matters to me today in 250 words or less. What matters to you? I’d really like to know.