Palisades and Eaton Fires represent thousands of individual tragedies, but they also constitute a collective disaster, adding to the already huge shortage of new housing shortages in California – it’s not a disaster, it’s not It originates from natural behavior, but from human policy mistakes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom buys new $9 million house In November, too many of his Californians may never own a home or find affordable rent. Under Newsom, the state has tried reforms aimed at improving buildings and affordability, but there are few valuable changes.
Coastal California has nearly 400% higher housing prices than national average and statewide The median cost of a house is 2.5 times higher than that of other parts of the country. California is the second lowest Home ownership rate nationwide56% (NYC’s lowest, 54%).
As for rent, the average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is just $3,000 per month. According to Apartments.comabout $1,000 More than the national average.
Of course, these statistics are not bad news for everyone. many California Baby Boomers bought nearby long ago – like bandits through rising house prices. Together with Xers, they have similar home ownership rates as in the rest of the country. However, Californians under 35 are half the speed, they are It’s the group This is abandoning the West Coast for the “cost of living” reasons.
The housing crisis in the state stems from Excessive building regulations and lawsuits against developers – too few residential units have been built for decades. Unfortunately, Sacramento’s treatment is pushing – the dense, apartment development policy is not helpful near the transit corridors of the state’s largest city.
For beginners, the high-density “fill” building of cities (some call it Yimby (“is my backyard”) development – is expensive. Urban land is expensive, materials are expensive, “prevalent wages” labor rates, and Heavy licensing, zoning and planning processes and expenses add to the bottom line. New multi-storey apartment buildings are packed along Sunset Boulevard or Wilhill Corridor, which may increase the total home inventory in Los Angeles, but even These buildings require affordable rental units, and the benefits of trick streams are also small.
As a professor at UCLA and London School of Economics Michael Storper’s research showsforced densification is a “blunt weapon” that has little to no significant cost savings for housing.
Rents and high-density living are also out of sync with what most people in California want. A recent public policy institute in California found that 70% Adults in the state prefer single-family homes. Not surprisingly, The vast majority According to a poll by former Obama campaign poll David Binder, a former Obama campaign poll, opposing the 2021 legislation signed by Newsom, the state actually bans single-family partitions in much of the state. (law, Senate Bill 9 overturned The ruling is being appealed last year in Los Angeles County Court. )
Climate goals have always been an important part of California’s policy preference for multi-story, multi-unit new buildings in cities. The idea is that more and more people living in taller buildings will be more energy efficient. It is encouraging that intensive developments near transit should reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But new research shows that the size of buildings is not necessarily related to more sustainability, and many Californians choose to endure longer commutes to buy homes rather than renting in towns. Or leave altogether. According to a new study According to land use lawyer Jennifer L.
What should the country do?
Some may wish we could subsidize the expansion of public housing and add more projects, such as ambitious contract renewals Jordan Downs, southern Los Angelesbut it’s very difficult A nearly bankrupt city There is also a state with budget issues, which again doesn’t match the wishes of most Californians.
One way to get out of this crisis is to expand news and local leaders are rapidly tracking fire reconstruction, incentivizing rather than punishing townhouses and single-family home construction simplified licensing and regulatory processes. Sacramento does not specify high-density units (usually rents) in the state’s largest metropolis, rather than laws, but rather market-driven projects that need to be encouraged based on consumer preferences.
Peripheral development away from high-cost coasts can open up opportunities for first-time home buyers. Countries can leverage technological trends, such as remote working, to allow for greater population dispersion. The major planned communities in the Southern California interior or Central Valley, as well as local employers, can be part of the solution.
The problem of installing housing in California requires more alternatives, especially for people looking for lower rents and affordable single-family housing. If the state wants to maintain its upward moving ribs, it must reshape its housing policies.
Joel Kotkin is a presidential researcher in urban futures at Chapman University and a senior fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, an opinion writer.
