Former California Controller Betty Yee drops bid for governor Yee's departure from the race for governor leaves six leading Democrats in the running with two leading Republicans.

“People want a personality...You have to either be the loudest, you have to have gimmicks, you gotta do what you gotta do to get attention. I got no gimmicks.”

calmatters.org/politics/202...

Cities scramble to comply with or fight major state housing law The final version of SB 79 offered local governments plenty of wiggle room over the law. Cities across California are starting to wiggle.

Last fall, CA legislators made it legal to build mid-rises in big metros near major transit stops.

But SB79, which goes into effect on July 1, gave local govs wiggle room over the where, when and how of the new law.

My story on how cities are starting to wiggle:

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

Developers use California's 'density bonus' law far more than higher-profile YIMBY bills Other pro-housing laws get more attention, but developers rely on California's strengthened density bonus law more than any other.

Since 2020, California's density bonus law has been used to entitle "10 times as many homes" as SB 35, AB 2011, SB 6 and SB 9 combined, according to Circulate's analysis of state housing data.

timesofsandiego.com/housing/2026...

Adam Hardesty looks through the construction at his home in Carlsbad on Feb. 19, 2025. Hardesty wanted to convert the garage of his three-story condo into a ground-floor apartment despite opposition from his own Homeowners Association. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

Last year, I covered a legal dispute between a Carlsbad condo owner and his homeowners association over his right to turn his garage into an ADU.

On Friday, a San Diego County judge ruled for HOA.

(reposting with the right link this time!)

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

Oops! Didn't realized I'd dropped the linkedin link. Thanks! I'll repost

Adam Hardesty looks through the construction at his home in Carlsbad on Feb. 19, 2025. Hardesty wanted to convert the garage of his three-story condo into a ground-floor apartment despite opposition from his own Homeowners Association. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

Last year, I covered a legal dispute between a Carlsbad condo owner and his homeowners association over his right to turn his garage into an ADU.

On Friday, a San Diego County judge ruled for HOA.

lnkd.in/gsdf7qnz

I had always heard that these were encouraged by the then-politically dominant Catholic Church in Quebec as a way to limit opportunities for licentious activities by morally corruptible renters. Looking it up now I realize this might be apocryphal, which is too bad. I always liked that story.

Two side-by-side posts. The first by David Roberts: "Yes, the obvious solution to fossil fuel wars is obvious: ' The fragility of global fossil fuel supply underscores why scaling renwables and electriciation is essential for lasting energy security." The second by the Economist: "An LNG crunch is good news for the world's dirtiest fuel," with a photo of a barge towing five mounds of coal.

The Takes giveth and the Takes taketh away.

California considering a first of its kind idea to boost factory-built housing To encourage housing developers to build more homes inside factories, California might get into the construction insurance business.

AB 2166, part of a new package of bills aimed at boosting factory-built housing, represents (as far as I can tell) a first-of-its-kind policy idea for this state — and maybe any state. It would have taxpayers backstop construction insurance contracts.

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

I am being cheeky. The chart shows a fairly low level of spending each year (bumping around $1 million since 2020) and then a giant spike to well over $4 million in 2025.

If you squint at this chart you can just make out the modest uptick in Meta's California lobbying spend in 2025

calmatters.org/politics/202...

Confirming my scoop from last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced this deal with TotalEnergies today. Story w/ @bradplumer.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/c...

Scott Wiener passed laws that made it easier to build in California. Can he do the same in Congress? If elected, will the prolific Wiener get housing laws passed at a national level? Or will Congress' tendency to inaction win out?

Scott Wiener is known for being unusually good at passing bills and for his focus on housing policy, especially land use and permitting issues.

Congress isn't known for either.

My story on why California’s most prolific YIMBY lawmaker still wants to run for Congress

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years

really just overwhelmingly shaken by the bravery of these women to tell their stories, despite it all. plus the careful & brave investigation by these reporters www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/u...

Link?

10 projects from Newsom's mental health bond were supposed to open in 2025. That didn't happen Projects supposed to offer mental health and substance use care to foster youth, new mothers, unhoused people and others have been delayed or cancelled.

oh.

calmatters.org/housing/home...

Get thee behind me, Satan

California has 40,000 affordable housing units ready to break ground. One setback is holding them up Tens of thousands of affordable housing units across California are stuck in financial purgatory, according to a new report.

There are nearly 40k “near construction” affordable units stuck in financial purgatory, according to a new report.

California has seen gridlock in affordable housing production before, but the precise location of the traffic jam has changed over time.

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

An especially happy first night of Daylight Savings Time to the manufacturers of child-grade melatonin gummies.

She directed $2.7 million from her elderly clients to her husband’s company. The judge approved every penny The arrangement was so brazen that court staffers whispered about it, and other attorneys found it troubling.

calmatters.org/investigatio...

Fwiw the article links to the Pew study, Conrad Speckert's Second Egress project and a prior article I wrote on the topic that goes much deeper on the whole debate. This one was just meant to cover the immediate news of the report, which admittedly does leave context on the cutting room floor.

High-End Construction Really Does Help Everyone A new rung at the top of the housing ladder permits people lower down to climb up.

"Put succinctly: The sale of an apartment costing more than half a million dollars seems to have created a vacancy at a homeless shelter."

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

California’s fire safety regulators are finally out with a 'single stair' report. They don’t love the idea California’s fire safety regulators were asked to study whether mid-rise apartments can go with a single staircase like other countries.

The report from the State Fire Marshal stresses that IF state legislators want to raise the single stair maximum, they should go no higher than four stories.

Meanwhile, @votealexlee.bsky.social has a spot bill to allow single-stair apts "with 4 or more stories."

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

Two months past its statutory deadline, the state fire marshal's assessment of single-stair regulations, is now live!

(Reposting with a url that hopefully actually works this time; thanks @annepaulson.bsky.social)

34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calf...

As Federal Subsidy Ends, Hundreds of Families Need to Move A federal housing assistance program affecting more than 900 San Francisco households will expire sooner than expected.

A federal program providing housing assistance to more than 900 San Francisco households will expire sooner than expected. While the city has proposed a transition plan, families say they have little clarity, or control, over what comes next.
www.sfpublicpress.org/im-going-to-...

1 in 10 Cal State students face homelessness. This emergency housing program helps California's Rapid Rehousing program offers emergency housing and rental subsidies to college students at all UCs and most Cal States.

calmatters.org/education/20...

Asm. Alex Lee, who passed California's single-stair study bill in 2024, has a spot (placeholder) bill, AB 2252, to enact the reform. The state fire marshal was supposed to release their single-stair report almost two months ago, but has not. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNa...

High power bills impeding heat pumps, CA's electrification goals High electricity prices are complicating California’s push to electrify homes with heat pumps.

Took a little detour from my typical housing policy coverage to work on this story with @gauchoesque.bsky.social about the tension between California's ambitious climate/decarbonization goals and our punishingly high electricity prices.

calmatters.org/environment/...

U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs. Here's how they've affected California The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump does not have the authority to impose the broad tariffs that have affected California.

calmatters.org/economy/2026...

Congrats to BART rider and Oakland legend Alysa Liu on winning a gold medal at the Olympics and making the Bay Area proud!

Redlining across Los Angeles predicts bird segregation half a century later! Racial segregation is for the birds.