Blog Posts

by Max Dubler Introduction The 2026 Affordable Housing Bond – Proposition 1 This fall, California voters will vote on an $11.25 billion bond measure, Proposition 1, to fund housing programs, including Affordable Housing construction. California YIMBY recommends a “yes” vote…

by Max Dubler Introduction To reduce housing costs, we need to reduce local fees. That requires state revenue reform. California YIMBY has found substantial success reforming many of the barriers to housing growth in our state. From zoning reforms, to…

by Max Dubler Introduction Providing down payment subsidies for first-time homebuyers is a good idea on the merits, but is problematic in a severely supply-constrained market like California.  Prop 37 authorizes the state to issue up to $25 billion in…

by Max Dubler Introduction It should not take a supermajority of voters to raise revenues for local schools, infrastructure, and public safety. Analysis Background Proposition 13, passed by voters in 1978, amended the state constitution to cap property tax rates…

by Max Dubler Introduction While Proposition 45 meaningfully touches on housing, it will have a much more significant impact on non-housing projects. Pro-housing voters should consider the arguments for and against the measure and make their own decision based on…

California needs at least 2.5 million new homes by 2030, but most cities are still falling short. A new study examines whether this shortfall is associated with the politics of who lives in these cities, and how those politics determine…

Does building new housing lead to lower rents in older housing? A new study out of Honolulu tests that claim by tracking “moving chains” in a single building, The Central, a 512-home tower in Honolulu, completed in 2021. Each older…

While zoning and permitting delays get much of the blame for high housing costs, building codes are an oft-overlooked contributor. These codes set minimum construction standards, such as for structural and electrical safety, and fire protection. And most U.S. apartment…

California has advanced several housing reforms over the past decade to tackle high costs, but one 1979 law—the Density Bonus Law—has become one of the most-used tools for homebuilders to get their housing approved by cities and counties. The Bonus…

More than a third of California cities and counties, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and fast-growing suburbs like Dublin and Irvine, require private home builders to set aside a portion of the homes they build at below-market rents…