America has a housing crisis, and California is no exception. In fact, as the most populous state, California has struggled with a lack of affordable housing and struggled with rampant rates of homelessness.

2024 and ADUs

New laws have been passed regarding accessory dwelling units (ADUs), allowing properties to have up to 8 ADUs to mitigate the current housing shortage. 

While this is one way to provide more housing options, fewer restrictions on ADUs pivots focus away from the underlying causes of the housing shortage. Also, it does not solve the lack of funding and resources to build affordable housing.

2024 and Penalties

California passed a law enforcing penalties for local governments that do not comply with housing quotas. 

In the Bay Area, this means builder’s remedy will be enforced, which is a key concern among high-income towns like Atherton, Palo Alto, and others. However, enforcement of state laws is essential to expand affordable housing in populous cities. 

Cities should be more worried about the fact that no one can afford to own a home than that they may face penalties for not complying.

General trends

Through its housing-focused policymaking, California has created millions of new homes. However, housing costs have also increased, which means younger and financially unstable individuals are unable to afford to own a home.

This has led to increasing outmigration among lower- and middle-income Californians, simply because housing has become so unaffordable. While population decreases sightly eases the pressure to build more homes in some areas, California has a responsibility to its residents to ensure they have shelter.

Additionally, to no one’s surprise, California has the highest homeless population in the country, with over ⅓ of America’s homeless population residing in the state. This is a direct result of high housing costs, and addressing housing affordability is vital in order to reduce the number of homeless people in the state.