Housing

As groups representing landlords and real estate pour millions of dollars into political coffers to influence housing policy, tenant groups are celebrating recent victories.

Tenants complained about steep rent increases from a Silicon Valley landlord. Now, 20 of them will get a refund under a state rent control law.

Other than a contentious debate in one of the largest public hearing turnouts for any bill before the Legislature this session, the proposal by Sen. Aisha Wahab to ban caste discrimination sailed through the Senate with relative ease (and a 34-1 vote).  But the first-term Democrat from Fremont and her bill will still face a […]

The money will go to infrastructure, parking, and other investments city leaders say would lure residential developers to downtown.

Thousands of Californians who lost work during the pandemic are struggling with debt. A new settlement makes COVID rent relief available to tens of thousands of tenants.

When a bill dies in the Legislature, a hail Mary move is to try to get lawmakers to put it before voters and enshrine it in the state constitution. It’s a tall order that requires a two-thirds vote in both houses — but it’s not impossible. It’s the route Assembly Republicans will take when they […]

A new interpretation of an old law gives homebuilders leverage over California cities and their zoning codes. They’re using it to push through thousands of new apartments around the state.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to decarbonize California's economy but the California Environmental Quality Act is an impediment. So, he wants to streamline the law's application for big public works projects.

Two years ago, Blackstone bought 66 relatively low-rent apartment buildings in San Diego County from a charitable foundation. Tenants of those 5,800 dwellings say they see rent increases, maintenance issues and evictions in their futures.

The California Environmental Quality Act forces local officials to make prudent decisions, not build recklessly, argues an environmental attorney.