One of the many levers that California cities control that directly influence housing production is the one-time fee they charge builders to help cover roads, parks, and other public infrastructure. A new RAND Corporation study by Lizhong Liu and Jason…
SB 79, One Month In: Taking Stock of California YIMBY’s Signature Bill
SB 79, California YIMBY’s signature legislation that legalized apartment buildings near transit stops throughout California, went into effect on July 1, 2026. Under the law’s provisions, jurisdictions throughout the state must now begin implementation, which includes various pathways to achieve…
Can Upzoning Lead to More Homes? The Data Says Yes.
More and more cities and states have concluded that a key way to lower housing costs is to loosen rules, such as upzoning that lets developers build taller, denser buildings, and that construction will follow. A new Urban Institute study…
Why Building Homes in Your Neighborhood’s Backyard Is Actually the Fiscally Conservative Move
Building homes near jobs, transit, and stores costs governments roughly $21,000 less per unit in upfront infrastructure than building at the suburban fringe — and that gap widens over time. America’s housing shortage is well-documented, but policymakers have rarely accounted…
Suburban Apartment Bans May Be Making Poorer Neighborhoods’ Rents Increase
When suburbs block apartments, rents in nearby poor neighborhoods may rise by about $27 a month, according to a new national study. Most research on exclusionary zoning has focused on costs within the communities that adopt it; this study finds…
Governor Newsom Signs Historic Housing Legislation
SB 79 Culminates Eight-Year Fight to Legalize Homes Near Transit “This Governor has cemented his legacy as a pro-housing leader” SACRAMENTO — Today California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 79, a bill that will make it legal…
What Would SB 79 Mean for Los Angeles?
How is Los Angeles doing on housing affordability? Not good. The median home price in Los Angeles is now $930,622. That’s over 11 times the median household income – meaning the typical Los Angeles family does not have a path…
How America’s Wealthiest Neighborhoods Use Zoning Laws to Lock Out Renters
Across American suburbs, local governments use zoning laws to require large lot sizes, limit apartment construction, and mandate excessive parking spaces—regulations that effectively price out renters and concentrate them in just a fraction of neighborhoods. These rules operate like an…
Why Lot Size Requirements Make Neighborhoods More Expensive
America’s housing affordability crisis stems from an unexpected source: minimum lot size requirements. These are local laws that dictate how much land every new home must sit on. When a city says “every new house needs at least half an…
Historic Housing Legislation Passes in California
SB 79 Culminates Eight-Year Fight to Legalize Homes Near Transit “Nothing is impossible” SACRAMENTO – In a historic victory for California YIMBY and the YIMBY movement, the California state legislature today voted to pass SB 79, a bill that will…