Homes for All Californians

Introduction

California is in the midst of an unprecedented affordable housing crisis that threatens the stability, health, and well-being of our communities and our economy. Millions of Californians are struggling to find and keep a roof over their heads, as the cost of housing continues to skyrocket and the supply of affordable homes remains woefully inadequate to meet the growing need.

The statistics are staggering. More than half of California renters are considered "cost-burdened," spending over 30% of their income on housing, while nearly a third are "severely cost-burdened," spending over 50% of their income on rent (California Housing Partnership, 2021). Over 150,000 Californians are experiencing homelessness on any given night, a number that has grown by nearly 25% in the last five years (Aurand et al., 2021). Meanwhile, the state needs to build over 3.5 million new homes by 2025 to keep up with population growth and address the backlog of unmet housing needs (Woetzel et al., 2016), a goal that seems increasingly out of reach.

But behind these numbers are real people and real stories of struggle and resilience. There are the families doubled or tripled up in overcrowded apartments, the seniors choosing between paying rent and buying medicine, the students sleeping in their cars or on friends' couches, the workers commuting hours each day from distant suburbs or exurbs, the veterans and survivors of domestic violence languishing on waiting lists for affordable housing, and the unhoused individuals and families living in tents, vehicles, or on the streets.

These stories are not just anecdotes or abstractions, but vivid illustrations of the human toll of our housing crisis, and urgent reminders of the need for bold and comprehensive action to address it. They show us that housing is not just a commodity or a market good, but a basic human need and a fundamental right, one that is essential to the health, dignity, and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

At the same time, these stories also reveal the deep inequities and injustices that underlie and exacerbate our housing crisis, and that must be confronted and dismantled if we are to achieve true housing justice and affordability for all. From the legacies of racist housing policies and practices like redlining, exclusionary zoning, and predatory lending, to the ongoing realities of gentrification, displacement, and housing discrimination, the burdens of our housing crisis fall disproportionately on low-income communities and communities of color, perpetuating and deepening cycles of poverty, segregation, and inequality.

Solving California's affordable housing crisis, then, is not just a matter of building more homes or increasing housing supply, important as those goals are. It is also about addressing the root causes and systemic drivers of housing insecurity and unaffordability, and working to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable housing system that prioritizes the needs of people and communities over the profits of speculators and developers.

This is the challenge and the opportunity that this book seeks to address. Drawing on the insights and experiences of housing practitioners, advocates, policymakers, and community leaders from across the state, "Building Opportunities" offers a comprehensive and actionable roadmap for advancing affordable housing solutions and housing justice in California through innovation, collaboration, and investment.

The book is organized into three main sections. The first section provides an overview of the causes, impacts, and dimensions of California's affordable housing crisis, from the historical and policy failures that have led us to this point, to the regional variations and demographic disparities that shape the crisis today. It also introduces the key concepts, frameworks, and values that inform the book's analysis and recommendations, including the vision of housing as a human right and public good, the imperative of racial and economic justice, and the need for a holistic and intersectional approach to housing policy and practice.

The second section delves into the innovative models, strategies, and policies that are being pioneered by housing advocates, developers, and policymakers to create and preserve affordable housing in California. From community land trusts and social housing to inclusionary zoning and tenant protections, from progressive revenue strategies and green building techniques to community benefits agreements and reparative justice policies, this section highlights a range of bold and transformative approaches that are already making a difference in communities across the state, and that offer a roadmap for scaling up and replicating these successes.

The third and final section focuses on the critical role of collaboration, movement-building, and systems change in advancing affordable housing solutions and housing justice in California. It explores the power of regional planning, faith-based organizing, anchor institution partnerships, and statewide advocacy campaigns in shaping the political and economic landscape for affordable housing, and offers strategies and case studies for building the coalitions, resources, and power needed to drive transformative change. It also situates the fight for housing justice within the broader struggle for racial and economic equity, and the urgent need for a Green New Deal that addresses the twin crises of inequality and climate change.

Throughout the book, we center the voices, experiences, and leadership of the communities and individuals most impacted by the housing crisis, and lift up the work of the grassroots organizations and movements that are fighting for housing justice on the frontlines. We also strive to provide concrete tools, examples, and recommendations that readers can use to advance affordable housing solutions in their own communities and contexts, whether as practitioners, policymakers, advocates, funders, or engaged residents.

Our goal is not just to inform and inspire, but to activate and mobilize a broad and diverse coalition of stakeholders and allies in the fight for affordable housing and housing justice in California. We believe that this fight is not only necessary and urgent, but also possible and winnable, if we have the courage and the commitment to work together towards a common vision of a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.

The road ahead will not be easy, and the challenges we face are formidable. But as the stories and strategies in this book demonstrate, we have the tools, the resources, and the movements we need to succeed. What we need now is the political will and the moral imagination to use them, and to build a California and a world where everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

So let us take up the charge and the challenge of this moment, and let us work together to build a future of opportunity, dignity, and justice for all. The time for action is now, and the stakes could not be higher. Let us begin