A Call for Action as Construction Slows in California

An editorial by the Los Angeles Times calls for the state to remove barriers to housing shortage after a report finds declining numbers of residential permits around the state.

1 minute read

August 6, 2019, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Suburban California

Vlad Valeye / Shutterstock

The Los Angeles Times editorial board is calling out California lawmakers for stalling as a report finds the pace of construction slowing around the state as the cost of housing climbs past crisis levels.

The cited report, by the Public Policy Institute of California, found that housing construction has declined, as measured by residential permits, decline done 38 percent in June 2019 ad compared to June 2018. According to the report, only 93,000 new residential units were permitted on an annualized basis, a 16 percent decline.

Both the report and the editorial make specific mention of California's new governor, Gavin Newsom, who ran his campaign on promises to build more housing and began his tenure with a call for a "Marshall Plan" for housing in California. Since then, however, a pro-development bill that would have relaxed zoning restrictions near transit lines around the state, SB 50, failed in the legislature without much of a public sign of support from the governor.

Governor Newsom isn't the only one called to task in the editorial: "But in many cases, local elected officials are the ones who decide whether new homes get built or not, and far too often, they say 'no.' California has to reduce the barriers to building if the state is ever going to end its housing shortage."

Sunday, August 4, 2019 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight