SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- California's housing crisis took center stage
in the state capital this week at a solutions discussion forum
hosted by the Center for California Real Estate (CCRE), an
institute of the CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). The forum kicked off
a three-day legislative and business conference for the Association
with members from across the state in town to meet their local
legislative representatives and convene around Association
matters.
CCRE Presents – Capitol Conversations: Navigating California's
Housing Solutions featured Assemblymembers Pilar Schiavo
(40th District) and Chris
Ward (78th District) in a wide-ranging discussion
moderated by C.A.R. President Melanie
Barker.
The conversation ranged from insurance and state budget to
housing supply and affordability to homelessness and climate
issues. Panelists covered contributing factors, the latest findings
as well as current and ongoing efforts to address some of the most
critical issues impacting housing in California. Key among the 2024 insights shared
during Monday's discussion:
- Political appetite is strong for incentivizing production of
housing and eliminating barriers.
More bills than ever before this year deal with addressing the
housing crisis, indicating a large political will towards solutions
designed to result in more production and delivery of housing at
every level.
- "A lot of the work we need to do in our solutions to meet
the population's need is in supply and making sure there is a
supply there for every family of every part of the economic
spectrum so that they have a place here in California to call home. I can tell you as the
chair of the housing committee this year we've seen more pieces of
legislation than ever. …I perceive this as a good thing because we
have a lot of colleagues who actually want to be a part of the
solution and are presenting ideas. I see a lot of political will
and interest to say yes and to do more with housing."
– Assemblymember Chris Ward
- Key movement on short-term solutions as well as long-term
goals. Legislators and policymakers are working together
towards a goal of housing at every level that everyone can afford.
A multi-prong approach is needed to address the many facets of the
housing crisis in short-term and long-term efforts.
- "We're going to have to decide as a state to really make an
ongoing investment instead of one-time or short-term investments in
housing because our housing stock is just so far behind."
– Assemblymember Schiavo
- Historic norms are being called into question in an
'everything is on the table' approach to addressing the housing
emergency. From rethinking CEQA and the Coastal Act to
restrictions and penalties on frivolous lawsuits and plaintiffs'
attorneys fees, policymakers are looking at all potential solutions
to advance housing and eliminate barriers.
- "We're getting to the point where we're going to have to
have a reckoning about how we want to address CEQA in a more
holistic way. It's something that we want to make sure is there for
the protection that is needed, but also not a barrier that delays
projects for years and years because of frivolous lawsuits – that
is the balance we really have to figure out. – Assemblymember
Schiavo
- "The Coastal Act is something we're talking about a lot
more seriously. So far it's also something that has been very
much third rail, we love our coastline here, we want to make sure
there's access for everybody – but to have an almost duplicative
land use process that is preventing reasonable development from
being a part of that neighborhood too, when you've already baked in
the tenets of the Coastal Act… we should not just turn a blind eye
to three-year delays in something getting built." – Assemblymember
Ward
- Hope is on the horizon for the insurance crisis. To help
bring insurers back to the marketplace, a broad coalition ―
comprised of real estate industry experts, insurance companies, the
California Department of Insurance and others ― is exploring
multiple options, including the development of catastrophic
modeling tools available in 49 other states, and reducing pressure
on the FAIR plan and remaining insurers, which should ultimately
help bring rates down.
- "C.A.R., along with other coalition partners, is lending its
weight to support the regulations. The result should stabilize the
market and allow for more companies to enter and come back." –
Sanjay Wagle, C.A.R. SVP, Government
Affairs
While none of these solutions in progress provide overnight
relief, panelists agreed there is much to look forward to as they
collectively help solve some of the key aspects of California's housing crisis. And many other
efforts are also underway, including creative funding programs to
help address homelessness, rent control and other issues.
"It's the cumulation of all the work we're trying to do that
will add up to a lot. In San Diego
where we used to be doing 2,000 or 3,000 permits of new housing a
year, this year we are up to 9,000 units of housing under permit
right now. And we are seeing a stabilization in the rents, because
supply and demand is a real thing. I do see a lot of political will
and energy, but looking at the totality of the bills we are working
on, it's going to add up to turning the trend lines around and
solving California's housing
crisis." - Assemblymember Ward
About the Center for California Real Estate
The Center for California Real Estate (CCRE), an institute of
C.A.R., advances knowledge and research by collaborating with
varied partners, spurs innovative thinking about key issues facing
California and the real estate
industry, and extends C.A.R.'s influence via intellectual
engagement with different audiences, diverse stakeholders and new
external partners.
CCRE serves as a nexus for multi-disciplinary thinking aimed at
solving some of the state's most challenging issues. Bringing
together key experts from a variety of fields — from academics and
policymakers to industry leaders — CCRE produces new knowledge and
serves as a key resource about housing issues for all C.A.R.
members, external entities, the media and the public.
About the CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Leading the way…® in California
real estate for more than 118 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF
REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state
trade organizations in the United
States with 180,000 members dedicated to the advancement of
professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in
Los Angeles.
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SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION
OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)