Following the election, I’ve been reflecting on this quote from Harvey Milk: “The American Dream starts with the neighborhoods.” As a housing advocate, this resonates deeply—it’s a reminder that much of the progress we’ve made toward creating more abundant and affordable communities begins at the local level.
With all of the consternation surrounding our federal government, we can take solace in the fact that we have the power to create meaningful pro-housing change through local and statewide advocacy.
The most significant barriers to housing production I’ve fought and continue to fight against — restrictive zoning laws and bureaucratically arduous processes — are regulations that are set at the state and local levels. For all its power, we can’t rely on the federal government to wave its magic wand and make it legal to build fourplexes on every residential corner of America (although it’d be nice).
For decades, the amount of power local governments had over land-use decisions was a bad thing. Local control empowered a small, unrepresentative set of bad actors to create and implement a labyrinth of rules and regulations designed to racially and economically segregate neighborhoods. These rules, above all else, made the process of building new housing complicated and time-consuming, creating a severe housing shortage that has made California oppressively expensive.
But as we stand in 2024, things are starting to shift. Local governments across California are losing their NIMBY tilt. Waves of pro-housing leaders are getting elected by pro-housing voters who are tired of California’s egregiously expensive housing landscape. As a result, our policies are starting to shift as well — the complex set of rules and regulations are being unwound as organizations like HAC advocate for changes that make it faster and easier to build new housing.
This shift at the local level is driven by transformative changes at the state level. Since 2017, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed nearly 200 housing bills aimed at combating California’s housing crisis. Now, cities and counties across the state are rewriting their outdated policies, clearing the path for a wave of housing construction.
Perhaps most importantly, the unchecked power of local governments to restrict growth is starting to wane. For the first time in history, the state housing department is holding cities accountable for building their fair share of housing. And taking action against anti-housing cities that try to circumvent state housing laws.
As we continue our mission, Harvey Milk’s insight rings truer than ever: change starts in our neighborhoods, and it is the responsibility of local and state advocates and pro-housing leaders to continue to work to solve the crisis we’re in.
We can’t rely on our federal government to solve our affordability crisis — but perhaps that’s a good thing.
