July 18, 2025
Housing affordability means how much people can pay for homes in a certain place. In California, many families struggle to buy or rent homes because prices keep rising faster than incomes.
Experts from the Terner Center and the California Department of Housing and Community Development say that high land costs, strict zoning rules, and expensive construction make this problem worse.
Lower interest rates have not fixed these issues; history shows they are not enough on their own.
More cities like Minneapolis and Portland improve housing options by changing zoning laws to allow more building. Streamlining permits helps builders start projects quicker and at lower cost.