Housing Crisis

Legislators propose a $1-billion-a-year down payment program for first-time buyers, given the high cost of housing and rising mortgage interest rates, in exchange for a partial stake.

Much has been made about the persistent disagreement between Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers over how to put money back in the pockets of Californians reeling from high gas prices and the rising cost of living, but what about addressing the state’s perennial problem — housing? Don’t worry, there are disagreements there, too. The […]

California's unemployment rate is improving, but inflation, sky-high prices and high interest rates threaten the state's economic recovery.

Communities must focus on policies that prevent displacement of residents, preserve existing housing and increase housing affordable to lower-income residents.

To meet California’s dire housing needs, policymakers must put less emphasis on mandates and instead harness the power of incentives.

The battle over the California budget is intensifying ahead of Gov. Newsom's May revision with a surplus as large as $68 billion.

A new bill aimed at increasing affordable housing construction has an important backer: California’s carpenters’ unions. The state’s formidable Construction and Building Trades Council, which represents most other construction unions, is opposed. The battle comes down to how stringent labor requirements under the new bill would be.

Financing more student housing at the state’s public colleges and universities is a worthy investment in California’s economic future.

CalMatters is dedicated to explaining how state government impacts our lives. Your support helps us produce journalism that makes a difference. Donate now. In California, it all comes back to housing — even Monday’s blockbuster news that Twitter accepted Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to take the company private. Musk, in a since-deleted April 9 […]

A handful of activists represent the bulk of the state’s enforcement of the law. That could change as the state housing agency hires more staff.