A Conference on Housing Policy

Capitol Weekly presents
A Conference on Housing Policy
Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Join us for an informative update on California’s Housing Crisis. For years, the Golden State has had the highest home prices in the US, one of the lowest rates of home-ownership, and the most people living on the streets – now, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation even worse.

A range of experts, insiders and elected officials will discuss the status of the state’s Housing Crisis and the policy solutions being proposed to help solve it.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY ASSEMBLYMAN DAVID CHIU

Other speakers will include: Asm. Buffy Wicks; Lori Droste, Berkeley City Council; Jennifer Svec, California Association of Realtors; Dan Dunmoyer, California Building Industry Association; Natalie Holmes, California Policy Lab; Shanti Singh, Tenants Together; Helen Leung, LA-Más; Isaiah Madison, Livable California. More TBA…

This event will be hosted on ZOOM from 9AM – 1:45PM, Wednesday, May 26. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Attend one panel, or the whole day!

To register, click on the title of any panel you wish to attend.

9AM, PANEL 1: THE PANDEMIC EFFECT

Moderated by Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times

As people hunkered down, working from their homes, inventory tightened; home prices made an unexpected jump, driving prices even further out of range for many Californians. At the same time, many working people lost wages, creating a backlog of unpaid rents and mortgages; COVID-era eviction moratoriums protect them for now, but what happens when those protections are lifted? And, what of the low income Californians and communities of color who bore the brunt of the pandemic’s impact?

10:30AM, PANEL 2: THE END OF SINGLE FAMILY ZONING?

Moderated by Erin Baldassari, KQED

After years of debate and fierce opposition from neighborhood associations, the support for single-family zoning is waning. Housing advocates like Sen. Scott Wiener have introduced legislation to encourage multi-family building statewide, and in February, the Sacramento City Council took the first steps toward allowing duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes to be built anywhere in the city. The Berkeley City Council soon followed suit. If these zoning changes become widespread throughout the state, how will they impact the cost and availability of housing, and will they bring gentrification with them?

NOON: Keynote by Assemblyman David Chiu.

Introduced by John Howard, Capitol Weekly

12:45PM, PANEL 3: HOUSING COSTS – A BUBBLE OR THE NEW NORMAL?

Moderated by Manuela Tobias, CalMatters

Even a worldwide pandemic couldn’t slow California’s climbing cost of housing. The Golden State boasts the most expensive real estate market in the country – the median home price in California is nearly double the average for a home in the rest of the US. And, rents are equally excessive. Even inland areas that were once relatively affordable have seen double-digit growth: rents in Fresno have risen nearly 40% since 2017. What – if anything – can be done to slow the runaway cost of California housing?

For Registration questions contact Jyoti Alexander at (916) 444 7665 or .

For questions about content, please contact John Howard at (916) 444-7665 or .

For Sponsorship information, contact Tim Foster at (916) 612 2613 or .