San José delays inclusionary-housing overhaul
San Jose housing policy change delayed after pushback – San José Spotlight San José paused action on a significant overhaul of its inclusionary-housing rules after pushback from developers, housing advocates, and neighborhood leaders. The proposed change would shift affordable-housing obligations toward middle-income units, arguing that these households are also being pushed out of the South […]
Cost-Pressures Threaten Housing Viability Across California
Bay Area Housing Rides Wave Of AI Boom – NMP A regional economic review shows California construction and ownership costs continue rising faster than national averages, driven by labor shortages, material volatility and regulatory layers. Developers warn that many proposed projects won’t pencil without cost stabilization, subsidy support or new financing models. Why it matters: […]
California Housing Costs Continue to Outpace Incomes
California Housing Affordability Tracker (3rd Quarter 2025) [EconTax Blog] A new Legislative Analyst’s Office affordability tracker shows that home-buying costs statewide have surged 74–78% since 2020, far outpacing wage growth. Construction costs and ownership costs remain structural obstacles to producing and maintaining affordable housing. The analysis highlights a growing gap that policy alone cannot fix […]
Dozens of New Housing Laws Take Effect in California
California Housing Laws That Go into Effect in 2025 – Terner Center More than 60 new California housing laws took effect in 2025, spanning ADUs, tenant protections, CEQA streamlining, funding tools and ministerial approvals. While the package provides new pathways for entitlements and production, the impact relies heavily on how willing cities are to update […]
Los Altos Hills attempts major rollback of planned housing
Why this Bay Area suburb is the center of the next CA housing fight – CalMatters After agreeing to legalize multifamily housing under state pressure, Los Altos Hills is now considering a plan to reduce its required new units by roughly two-thirds. The change would mostly affect small apartment buildings and duplex-style infill that the […]
Public comment opens on Plan Bay Area 2050+
Regional agencies in the Bay Area are now gathering public input on the long-range strategy covering housing, transportation, environment and economy for the next 25 years. Some community members are already raising questions about projected population growth, revenue sources and the cost of proposed projects. Have thoughts on region’s future? Public comment opens for Plan […]
Why I’m Doing This
I’ve spent years watching how choices get made in city halls, commission chambers, and behind closed doors — choices that shape how we live, work, and move around the Bay Area. Some are smart. Some are baffling. Many never get the attention they deserve. And too often, the people who care the most — residents, […]
San José Finally Has a Roadmap for Fixing Code Enforcement. Now It Needs to Actually Use It.
San José now has its most detailed plan in years to overhaul a broken code-enforcement system that has allowed blight, unsafe buildings, and long-term nuisance properties to linger. The Guidehouse operational assessment, adopted by the City Council in May, lays out how the City can respond faster, enforce more effectively, and finally hold property owners […]
It’s Time for San José to Stop Using Roundup in Our Parks
San José continues to rely on glyphosate-based herbicides in public parks despite health warnings, safer alternatives, growing community concern, and increasing uncertainty at the federal level. Most mornings I take my two beagles, Bailey and Parker, to Williams Street Park. They sniff every corner, pull toward the same patch of grass, and treat the place […]