California governor signs bills to ease housing shortage News
California governor signs bills to ease housing shortage

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a number of bills on Tuesday to ease the state’s housing shortage. These bills, combined with four signed earlier in September, form a 31-bill housing agenda to address housing costs, homelessness, and climate change.

Newsom’s administration has already attempted to tackle these issues, even investing $22 billion to create more than 84,000 affordable homes, “including over 44,000 new housing units and treatment beds for people exiting homelessness.”

The new package of legislation takes further steps to address housing issues by creating a Housing Accountability Unit, investing in the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, mandating new housing creation by cities and counties, and more.

In a statement, Newsom said,

This package of smart, bipartisan legislation boosts housing production in California – more streamlining, more local accountability, more affordability, more density. These bills, plus this year’s historic budget investments in affordable housing, will directly lead to more inclusive neighborhoods across the state. Creating denser housing near jobs, parks and schools is key to meeting our climate goals as well as our affordability goals.

Newsom further explained the link between lack of housing and climate change, noting that “unaffordable housing leads to hours-long car commutes… creating denser housing closer to major employment hubs is critical to limiting California’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

Newsom is expected to sign more bills addressing the homelessness crisis this week.