Wikimedia Commons/Andre m
As California’s housing crisis increasingly shapes the state’s political agenda, gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton are advancing very different visions for where new housing should be built and how state leaders should accelerate development.
Hilton wants to build 10 new cities, with the county “bid to host the construction” of the city, to make the country more affordable.
Becerra will declare California’s housing shortage an emergency and direct the administration to identify ways to reduce building costs.
Both candidates have acknowledged that fees and approval and permitting delays contribute to the high cost of building new homes in the state but deny that there are other problems.
“We have to stop forcing apartment buildings into suburban areas and have all the wars between NIMBYs and YIMBYs, when we have got so much space that we can build in, in California,” Hilton said during a CNN candidate forum at the end of September.
Hilton outlined a program that would offer municipalities the opportunity to participate, which he said would reduce pushback because of the chance to opt out. He envisions every new city built around a job center, such as a major university, trade school or research center, according to his website.
The state’s hot environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act, has also received attention from Hilton, who has proposed changing it so that housing projects cannot be held up by private lawsuits filed under CEQA. The transit-oriented development law Senate Bill 79 is also a target for Hilton, who pushes back on the idea of a top-down mandate from the state about what the city should be able to build and where.
Hilton also wants to focus on building single-family homes and helping first-time homebuyers. He will cap the cost of a new single-family home at $50K, a huge savings compared to the $200K he says is added to the cost of each due to government fees.
“In my first day, I will require the administration to identify cost reductions that can be implemented both administratively and legislatively, and will work with the Legislature to resolve costs across the state,” according to the campaign website.
Becerra said he would build on the benefits of SB 79 by “seeking to end exclusive zoning in some types of transit and in high-opportunity areas.”
He also expressed support for legislation that would allow for the creation of “mythical middle” ownership options at traditional costs like duplexes and condominiums.
Becerra also said that he will continue to hold California cities responsible for not building or planning to build enough housing, something he did when he was the state attorney general.
Becerra also approved Proposition 37, a $25B down payment assistance program, and Proposition 1, an $11.3B affordable housing bond.
The majority of Proposition 1 funds, $7.2B, would purchase, construct or renovate rental housing through low-interest loans to buyers and developers in exchange for setting aside some units in the project as income-restricted for low-income households.
Funds could also be used to build supportive housing for the homeless, according to a report from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office.