California's Housing Crisis: Progress Amidst Political Theater and Decaying Foundations

The Facts: A Multifaceted Housing Landscape

California’s housing crisis continues to dominate policy discussions with several significant developments emerging simultaneously. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration has taken concrete steps by identifying six state-owned properties for affordable housing development, including former DMV sites in Fontana and Stockton. These projects, resulting from a 2019 executive order, will collectively provide at least 840 affordable housing units through lease option agreements finalized by November 13th.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass celebrated what she called a “major milestone” in wildfire recovery—the first single-family home approved for occupancy in Pacific Palisades after the devastating January fire that destroyed thousands of buildings and claimed 12 lives. However, this celebration faced criticism as the property in question (915 N Kagawa Street) is owned by Thomas James Homes, a development company that purchased the property before the wildfire and completed permitting processes independently.

A sobering study by nonprofit Enterprise analyzed 39 single-room occupancy (SRO) properties in California, revealing systemic challenges in housing our most vulnerable populations. These properties, averaging 96 years old (built around 1928), operate at a 95% deficit rate requiring housing providers to contribute over $24 million to maintain operations. Despite this investment, these critical housing resources suffer from a 20% vacancy rate, indicating both physical and operational challenges.

Beyond housing policy, the political landscape shows an open field for the 2026 gubernatorial race with at least 10 candidates vying to succeed Newsom. Current polling shows no clear frontrunner, with 44% of voters undecided and no candidate polling above 15%. The emerging candidates include former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (recently associated with a campaign fund scandal), former Congressmember Katie Porter (facing criticism over staff treatment and interview conduct), and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (promising deregulation and immigration policy changes).

The Context: California’s Perfect Storm of Housing Challenges

California’s housing crisis represents a complex interplay of historical underbuilding, natural disasters, economic inequality, and political fragmentation. The state faces a estimated shortage of 3.5 million housing units, particularly affecting low-income residents who spend disproportionate amounts of their income on housing. The SRO study particularly highlights how our oldest housing stock—critical for preventing homelessness—faces structural and financial challenges that threaten its continued availability.

The political dimension adds another layer of complexity. With an open gubernatorial race and multiple candidates facing early controversies, the focus on substantive policy solutions risks being overshadowed by personality politics and scandal management. The timing is particularly crucial as California faces budget constraints and competing priorities that could impact housing investment.

Opinion: Where Substance Meets Symbolism in Housing Policy

The dual nature of California’s housing response—practical progress alongside political theater—reveals much about our current governance challenges. Governor Newsom’s initiative to repurpose state land for affordable housing demonstrates innovative thinking about public resource allocation. Using surplus state property for public good represents exactly the type of creative, practical governance that California desperately needs. However, 840 units, while meaningful for those who will inhabit them, represents a drop in the bucket against California’s massive housing deficit. This initiative should be celebrated as a model but expanded exponentially.

Mayor Bass’s celebration of wildfire recovery, while well-intentioned, highlights the dangers of premature victory declarations in governance. The fact that the celebrated property belonged to a development company rather than a displaced family reveals how easily symbolic achievements can overshadow substantive progress. In crisis recovery, transparency and accuracy matter more than positive headlines. The families who lost homes and loved ones deserve honest assessments of recovery progress, not misleading milestones that serve political purposes.

The Tragic Reality of Our Aging Housing Infrastructure

The Enterprise study on SRO properties should serve as a wake-up call to every Californian who cares about human dignity. That we rely on housing stock built before the Great Depression to shelter our most vulnerable neighbors is nothing short of a moral failing. These buildings, while representing an important housing resource, often lack basic amenities, accessibility features, and modern safety standards. The 20% vacancy rate suggests that even those desperately needing housing may be choosing homelessness over unacceptable living conditions.

The financial reality—that 95% of these properties operate at a deficit—demonstrates the unsustainable economics of affordable housing. Nonprofit providers sacrificing $24 million to keep doors open represents both incredible dedication and a systemic failure. We cannot rely on the generosity of housing providers to subsidize what should be a public responsibility. This situation calls for massive public investment in both preserving existing affordable housing and constructing new units that meet 21st-century standards.

Political Ambitions Versus Public Service

The emerging gubernatorial race presents both opportunity and concern. The open field allows for fresh ideas and new approaches to California’s persistent challenges. However, the early controversies surrounding leading candidates suggest that personality politics and past missteps may dominate over policy discussions. Xavier Becerra’s association with campaign fund issues, Katie Porter’s staff treatment controversies, and Chad Bianco’s polarizing positions risk turning the election into a spectacle rather than a substantive debate about California’s future.

What California needs is not political theater but serious engagement with the housing crisis that affects millions. The next governor will inherit a state where housing affordability impacts economic competitiveness, educational outcomes, health disparities, and environmental sustainability. We need leaders who understand that housing is not just a shelter issue but a foundational element of human dignity and opportunity.

A Path Forward: Principles for Housing Justice

First, we must dramatically scale successful models like the state land repurposing initiative. Every level of government should audit public properties for housing potential. Second, we need honest assessment and communication about recovery efforts—celebrating actual progress for actual people, not symbolic achievements. Third, we must invest in modernizing our affordable housing stock while preserving existing units through sustainable funding models.

Politically, we must demand that candidates address housing with specific, actionable plans rather than rhetoric. The media and public should hold candidates accountable for substantive policy positions rather than personality conflicts. California’s housing crisis requires solutions that transcend political cycles and prioritize human need over political ambition.

Ultimately, how we house our most vulnerable citizens defines our moral character as a society. The contrast between groundbreaking initiatives and decaying infrastructure, between genuine progress and political symbolism, reveals both the promise and peril of this moment. We have the resources, creativity, and compassion to solve this crisis—what we need is the political will and moral clarity to make housing a human right rather than a political football.