California has launched the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative, a program that will deploy vehicles to collect air pollution data in 64 communities to improve public health and air quality.
California is making progress in addressing its housing crisis with the passage of Senate Bill 79 and efforts to reform the California Environmental Quality Act, but the cost of building affordable housing remains a major obstacle.
SB 79, a bill authored by Senator Scott Wiener, aims to legalize mid-rise housing near transit stops and on land owned by local transit agencies, allowing for up to seven story buildings and permitting transit agencies to build housing at the same or greater density.
Rent control is a useful and underutilized tool in addressing California’s housing crisis, according to a study by USC, UCLA, and UC Berkeley, which finds that moderate rent stabilization can increase tenant housing stability and reduce gentrification-fueled displacement.
California State Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab is pushing a package of 13 bills to address the state’s affordability crisis, including measures to prevent digital discrimination, protect tenants from eviction, and streamline rebuilding processes in disaster-affected areas.
A panel of federal judges has ruled that President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on imports from around the world was unlawful, leading to the permanent injunction of the tariffs and the winding down of tariff enforcement.
SB 750, authored by Senator Dave Cortese, would allow California to use its own credit to finance stalled housing projects, potentially unlocking funds for hundreds of thousands of homes and addressing the state’s persistent housing shortage.
California’s housing crisis is causing middle-income families to be priced out of the state, with only 87,000 homes built annually and a shortage of “missing middle” housing, leading to increased commutes and displacement of households of color.
Author Andrew Brininstool’s forthcoming book High Desert Blood tells the story of the 1980 New Mexico prison riot, which left 33 people dead and exposed systemic neglect in the correctional system, with the aim of ensuring this dark chapter is not forgotten and not repeated.
California is cracking down on cities that fail to meet their housing goals, with Fresno losing its Prohousing Designation for failing to follow through on reforms, and Davis facing similar threats if it doesn’t reform its Measure J/R/D and streamline its permitting processes.
SB 79, the Abundant & Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, has been passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now moving to the Senate floor, aiming to increase housing supply, lower family housing costs, reduce reliance on cars, and support the state’s climate goals.
California’s housing crisis is so severe that even six-figure salaries are considered low income in many counties, causing middle-class families to struggle to afford housing and driving up the state’s unemployment rate.
California’s flawed VMT modeling framework is undermining its goal of aligning housing with climate goals, and the state should modernize its tools, rethink its reliance on VMT, and replace regional baselines with statewide comparisons to ensure equitable and effective housing development.
Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed sweeping housing reforms in California, which has sparked a political battle between progressive and entrenched interests, as Democrats are the biggest political barrier to housing in the state.
A California bill aims to provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children residing in the state, as many are struggling to find legal aid and facing devastating consequences due to procedural issues and bureaucratic errors.
California, along with 16 other states, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for withholding billions of dollars in funding for electric vehicle chargers, which could cost California more than $300 million and eliminate thousands of jobs.
A study by Simmrin Law found that Wyoming handed down the harshest average sentence for drug trafficking offenses, raising questions about systemic inequities in sentencing and the need for reform.
Trump’s 2026 budget proposal would cut federal rental assistance by 43%, threatening the survival of low-income renters, seniors, people with disabilities, and families in one of the most expensive states in the country, and potentially leading to a rise in homelessness.
AB 690, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Nick Schultz, aims to ban flat-fee contracts for indigent defense and establish statewide standards for counties that contract out public defense services, in order to provide fair compensation, manageable caseloads, and adequate representation to those who cannot afford legal counsel.
California needs to shift its mindset from treating housing as a luxury good to essential infrastructure, and build policies that are equitable, inclusive, and capable of meeting the needs of a diverse workforce to address the housing crisis.