Reward Cities that Produce Housing — of All Types

For years many Californian cities have resisted the necessity of building housing for their residents while others have shown the willingness to produce housing but have been wary of the fiscal impact it will have on their government. The New California Coalition will help solve this problem – that is the biggest driver of poverty and lack of opportunity in the state – through advocating for the creation a “cap and trade” system for housing production. In this system, cities that do not produce housing consistent with their Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals will have the option of paying into a fund that will support those cities that do produce the needed housing. This will be reinforced by giving cities that build housing even greater priority for transportation, broader infrastructure, school construction and other resources that support housing development.

By The Numbers

2.9%

In 2023 residential permits declined by 2.9%
CalMatters, Eye-popping construction costs intensify California’s chronic housing shortage

68%

Statewide, 68% say housing affordability is a big problem in their part of the state.
PPIC, Californians and the Housing Crisis

11x

From 2016 to 2022, [ADU] production increased from 1,269 units to 24,000, an increase of elevenfold.
Center for California Real Estate, California Leads the Way for Production of ADUs

2.5 Million

The state has pushed local governments to reduce impediments to housing construction, setting a goal of 2.5 million new units over the current eight-year planning cycle, or an average of more than 300,000 units a year, “and no less than one million of those homes must meet the needs of lower-income households.”
CalMatters, Eye-popping construction costs intensify California’s chronic housing shortage

NCC Actions

Make California affordable for all of its residents through cutting all red tape that increases the cost or extends the timeline of building homes for people at all income levels and establishing a state timeline for local project approvals

Modernize CEQA through ministerial approval of projects that meet housing plan requirements and other reforms that return focus of this legislation to environmental quality

Fully fund and streamline the delivery of infrastructure that is supportive of housing

Champion the reforms coming out of the Subcommittee on Permitting Reform led by Assemblymember Wicks as well as working with all other legislators to support efforts to build both infill developments and new construction of single-family neighborhoods and communities

NCC Task Force Recommendations

Our proposed solutions aim to help realize Governor Gavin Newsom’s goal of building 2.5 million more housing units by 2030. California's housing gap primarily impacts working, middle-class families. The ability to increase housing production that serves these hardworking Californians is dependent on three key factors:

- Acceleration of housing project entitlements and approvals.
- Reduction of the costs of construction to enable housing to be built at an affordable price to buyers and renters.
- Fixing the current local jurisdiction disincentives for building more housing.

Click here to download the full report.
NEWS