Palo Alto tries to rein in Zuckerberg’s Crescent Park expansion
Palo Alto tries to rein in Zuckerberg’s Crescent Park expansion – San José Spotlight The Big PictureResidents in Palo Alto’s Crescent Park neighborhood have been raising concerns for years about changes tied to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s expansion of properties in their area. Neighbors say construction, property accumulation, and development activity have altered the character […]
Bay Area residents are feeling the squeeze of higher grocery prices
Bay Area residents are feeling the squeeze of higher grocery prices Big PictureA new Joint Venture Silicon Valley report finds that grocery prices in the Bay Area have climbed faster than other everyday expenses and continue to rise even as overall inflation cools. Polling shows that nearly two-thirds of residents now rank groceries among the […]
San Jose considers a sugary-drink tax fund for San Jose Parks
Could a sugary-drink tax fund San Jose’s parks? Voters may decide in 2026. – The Mercury News San Jose is weighing whether to put a sugary-drink tax on the ballot in 2026 as a way to generate revenue for the city’s parks system. Faced with a growing maintenance backlog and limited funding, city leaders are […]
Coastal Commission Remakes Its Leadership in Favor of Housing Development
Is more development coming to California’s coast? Under the leadership of Gavin Newsom and other key Democrats, the California Coastal Commission has appointed three pro‐development members this year, aligning the body more closely with housing-delivery goals. The move is aimed at speeding approvals of housing and other development along the state’s coastline, signalling a political […]
Over $100 M of Bay Area Homelessness Funding Could Vanish
‘It’s Devastating’: More Than $100M for Housing Homeless at Risk Under New HUD Policy | KQED Local advocates warn that the Bay Area stands to lose more than $100 million in federal support for homelessness programs under a forthcoming U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) policy shift. Service providers say this could jeopardize […]
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 […]
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 […]