Welcome to the June 18, 2025 Main edition of The Homework, the official newsletter of California YIMBY — legislative updates, news clips, housing research and analysis, and the latest writings from the California YIMBY team. News from Sacramento Committee Season…
Taller Buildings Near Transit Would Cut Austin’s Affordable Housing Costs by $2.5 Billion
Allowing denser apartment buildings along Austin’s planned light-rail lines could slash the city’s affordable housing subsidies from $8 billion to $5.5 billion while meeting housing goals that current zoning makes impossible, according to a University of Texas study. The findings…
The Homework: June 4, 2025
Welcome to the June 4, 2025 Main edition of The Homework, the official newsletter of California YIMBY — legislative updates, news clips, housing research and analysis, and the latest writings from the California YIMBY team. News from Sacramento A Historic…
Location, Location, Low-Carbon: The Surprising Climate Math of Where We Live
While urban planners have long considered the impacts of density, new research reveals additional housing and neighborhood design factors that significantly impact our carbon footprint in residential developments. In “Beyond density: Examining overlooked drivers of housing and neighborhood greenhouse gas…
So Many Forms, So Few Homes: How L.A. Made Housing a Waiting Game
Los Angeles suffers from severe housing unaffordability, with one-third of renters spending over half their income on housing and over 47,000 residents experiencing homelessness. New research suggests that lengthy approval processes may be a key factor limiting housing production. Streamlining…
How California makes it harder to build homes where people drive less
California lets homebuilders fast-track housing in certain “low-VMT neighborhoods”—areas where new residents are expected to drive less than average (low vehicle miles traveled). The idea: support climate goals and housing access at the same time. But a new report shows…
NEW REPORT: How Land Use Reform Can Solve the Los Angeles Budget Crisis
SB 79 Could Bring Up to $1 Billion to City Coffers; Help Solve Housing Shortage Los Angeles – The City of Los Angeles could largely solve its $1 billion budget shortfall by allowing more homes to be built near its…
The Homework: May 5, 2025
Welcome to the May 5, 2025 Main edition of The Homework, the official newsletter of California YIMBY — legislative updates, news clips, housing research and analysis, and the latest writings from the California YIMBY team. News from Sacramento Major Progress…
If You Tax the Things You Want Less of …
Los Angeles voters passed Measure ULA in 2022 to tax real estate sales over $5 million in order to fund subsidized housing programs. But new research from UCLA and RAND finds that the policy may be slowing the growth of…
California YIMBY Statement on AB 1157
Californians are rightly frustrated over the spiraling cost of rent. Due to our acute housing shortage, hundreds of thousands of Californians are forced to spend most of their income on rent, live in overcrowded conditions, or leave the state each…