Oct 21, 2025 | Housing, Legislation
By Thomas Elias
October 21, 2025
A new law just signed by Newsom will eventually prove far more consequential to the future of California cities. It’s called Senate Bill 79 and will leave many California skylines altered, once it plays out, in the direction of population-dense high-rise buildings. Yes, multi-unit apartment construction is down statewide this year from last year’s figures by about 20%, making 2024 construction look like it may have been on steroids. The drop comes largely because new apartments today typically need $4,000 to $5,000 in monthly rent just to break even.
Oct 17, 2025 | Housing
By JONATHAN LANSNER
October 17, 2025
California renters are finicky customers, changing apartments far more often than the typical American tenant. But when they find the right place, they stay longer than the national norm.
That’s what my trusty spreadsheet learned after reviewing RentCafe’s second-quarter report on how tough it is to find an apartment in 136 U.S. markets, including a dozen from the Golden State. RentCafe stats follow rental patterns primarily at large complexes.
Oct 16, 2025 | Politics, Housing, Legislation
BY DAN WALTERS
OCTOBER 16, 2025
Eight years ago, as he began his campaign for governor, Gavin Newsom described fixing the state’s chronic housing shortage as a moral imperative.
“This is a question of who we are,” Newsom wrote in 2017. “Housing is a fundamental human need — let’s not forget the human face behind the dire statistics.
Oct 13, 2025 | Housing, Politics
By TIM REDMOND
OCTOBER 13, 2025
The Chron and the Examiner both have big stories today about the anger over Mayor Daniel Lurie’s plan to increase housing density on the West Side of town. People are angry; Lurie is facing hostile crowds at town halls, and the Ex ran a piece saying that the city’s future is at stake:
What’s at stake is not just zoning, but the future of San Francisco’s historic neighborhoods, parks, public vistas and architecture — the international character that draws millions of visitors.
Oct 11, 2025 | Housing, Legislation
By Alyse DiNapoli,
Oct 11, 2025
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation upzoning many areas throughout the state that fall within a quarter- to half-mile radius of a major transit stop, aimed at spurring housing development. Senate Bill 79, sponsored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would set a uniform standard for allowable height and density minimums within a certain distance of major rail stops, including Caltrain and BART stations. The upzoning would be implemented on a tiered basis and applies mostly in urban counties in the Bay Area, Southern California and Sacramento.
Oct 10, 2025 | Housing, Legislation
BY BEN CHRISTOPHER
OCTOBER 10, 2025
IN SUMMARY
After weeks of waiting, California’s governor signed a bill that will allow mid-rise apartment buildings near major transit stops in California’s biggest metro areas. Ever since the Legislature narrowly passed a bill last month that will pave the way for more apartment buildings around major public transit stops in the state’s biggest metro areas, the California political universe has been impatiently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature or veto in a heated statewide game of “will he, won’t he.” Today, he did.
