Tackling California's Housing Crisis

A mix of proposals to enter the Legislature this year seekto make it easier to build, buy and rent housing in efforts to ease the "housing affordability crisis" currently facing California. The California Association of Realtors (CAR) is sponsoring three bills that will: make it more difficult for local government to deny low- or moderate housing developments; establish a security deposit guarantee to help tenants who can't afford thesecurity deposit for a rental; and help first-time buyers obtain mortgage insurance. A group composed of the California Building Industry Association, the California Chamber ofCommerce, and other housing advocacy groups plans to support legislation that would: eliminate barriers to building on brownfield sites; prevent the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA) from being used in ways it was not intended to restrict development; and streamline a law enacted lastyear that would provide financial incentives to local governments toapprove more housing.