Housing

While few victims of last year’s fires are back in their homes, that’s not unusual following natural disasters; permitting changes appear to be helping.

Under Newsom’s tenure, health care has been expanded, but his housing goals and homelessness pledges remain unfinished. Can he deliver before eyeing the White House?

Fridge-less apartments dotting the pricey California rental market will soon be a head-scratching relic. Beginning Jan. 1, landlords will be required to provide all apartments with a working stove and refrigerator thanks to a new state law. It marks the end of an unusual, decades-long phenomenon mostly in the Los Angeles area where some tenants […]

A new law going into effect Jan. 1, 2026 prevents cities from penalizing outreach workers who provide services such as legal aid or hand out blankets at encampments.

A California new law expands CARE Court, a mental health program championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, to include some people diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Maybe it was the re-election of Donald Trump and the electorate’s ire over inflation. Maybe it was the surprise success of a book about permitting reform among liberal elites. Maybe it was just the cumulative crush of California’s unaffordability.  Whatever the cause, 2025 was the year that California’s Democratic lawmakers finally got serious about building.  […]

State and local governments became more aggressive in sweeping homeless encampments in 2025, among other measures.

For generations it’s been a near article of faith that homeownership beats out being a renter. In California in 2025, having a landlord has its perks.

Who is eligible for CARE Court? How do I file a petition? Can this program force someone into treatment? Read on to find out.

CARE Court was supposed to be a new way to help homeless Californians in the grip of psychosis. But people are still falling through the cracks.