In the spirit of the holidays, the HAC team put together a wish list for the policy changes we would like to see in regions across California.

On November 12th, HAC welcomed recently elected Councilmember Anthony Tordillos (San José) to our HAC-ED meeting. Councilmember Tordillos represents San José’s District 3 and has long been an ally to HAC’s work. His presentation walked through San José’s multi-pronged housing strategy rooted in four pillars: Legalization and Capacity, Costs, Financing, and Specific Sites. Each is aimed at clearing the path for more homes, more quickly, with smart policy to back it up.

In the quest to jumpstart housing production in California, a policy idea that has grown increasingly popular is single stair reform. The proposal would change the way we build apartments by updating building code standards to only require one stairway in small apartment buildings, versus the more common dual stairway model. 

Our Executive Director Corey Smith on the importance of the CEQA reform and SB 79 + thinking about HAC’s policy agenda for 2026.

On October 15, HAC members gathered for our State Legislative Package Planning Session, a working discussion to identify the statewide policy priorities HAC will advance in 2026. The session focused on practical, high-impact reforms that directly affect housing feasibility, homeownership, construction efficiency, and long-term affordability.

Interesting conversations from my time at YIMBYtown

On September 24, HAC hosted Kyle Vansice of Cedar and Ramie Dare of Mercy Housing California for a conversation on overcoming barriers to building housing. Vansice showcased Cedar, a zoning and design platform helping developers unlock infill sites, while Dare shared the financial and regulatory hurdles affordable housing faces today. Together, they highlighted both the innovative tools and on-the-ground realities needed to speed up, simplify, and expand housing production.

Ahead of our September 10th Regulatory Committee, HAC and RaaP Builders are launching a new conversation on construction cost best practices—spotlighting why California builds at nearly 3× the cost of Texas and what we can do about it.

We’ll dig into hard and soft cost drivers, explore smarter procurement and modular strategies, and share lessons from the field to help members deliver more affordable homes, faster.

At our August 27th Regional Committee, HAC welcomed Senator Scott Wiener and SF Planning Director Rachael Tanner for a deep dive into the bold housing policies shaping 2025. Senator Wiener shared candid updates on state housing bills — from CEQA reform to starter home legislation — while Tanner unveiled San Francisco’s historic Family Zoning plan, set to unlock 36,000 new homes and reshape the city’s zoning map for the first time in decades.

Together, their insights highlighted how Sacramento’s legislative push and San Francisco’s zoning overhaul are working in tandem to tackle California’s housing crisis.

Our Executive Director Corey Smith writes about three reasons for people to be optimistic about housing in San Francisco

This month’s conversation underscored how California’s housing challenges are shaped by forces at both ends of the policy spectrum. From Capitol insider views on the latest federal housing legislation and budget negotiations to a statewide advocate’s warning about the deep funding and infrastructure gaps slowing progress, the committee heard candid assessments of where the biggest levers lie—and what’s standing in the way.

This month’s Regulatory Committee brought together two vital perspectives on housing in California: a Capitol insider’s view on the latest legislation and budget dynamics, and a statewide advocate’s outlook on the deep funding gaps holding us back from hitting our housing goals.

This month, I explore how San Francisco's new rezoning plan offers a promising blueprint for implementing abundance principles through smart and measured growth, while also emphasizing that rezoning is just one piece of the puzzle.

This month’s Regulatory Committee brought together two vital perspectives on housing in California: a Capitol insider’s view on the latest legislation and budget dynamics, and a statewide advocate’s outlook on the deep funding gaps holding us back from hitting our housing goals.

Our Regulatory Committee hosted an illuminating session featuring JP Walsh of Panoramic Interests and Elizabeth Funk of DignityMoves, offering a dynamic deep dive into two key dimensions of California’s housing response: development finance and innovative interim housing.

As the legislative cycle heats up, here’s an update on the status of the pro-housing pieces of legislation we’re sponsoring this year.

This month, I explore how San Francisco's new rezoning plan offers a promising blueprint for implementing abundance principles through smart and measured growth, while also emphasizing that rezoning is just one piece of the puzzle.

Our Regulatory Committee explored two housing challenges facing California: widespread student homelessness across CA’s public colleges and a collapsing fire insurance market. Learn how these parallel crises impact development statewide and what solution experts propose to address them.